


Spirits Cry

by cjwritergal



Series: Spirits Cry [1]
Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Bisexual Female Character of Color, Bisexual Male Character, F/M, Gen, Retelling, Spirits Cry, bisexual asami, bisexual bolin, bisexual korra, demi mako, season one rewrite
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-02-22
Updated: 2015-05-23
Packaged: 2018-01-13 10:33:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 84,077
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1223089
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cjwritergal/pseuds/cjwritergal
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Practically raised alone in the South Pole, self-worth shattered by the White Lotus, young Avatar Korra finds herself surrounded by people in Republic City. Unrest is brewing, she can't contact her past lives, and everyone she loves is in danger. Can she discover what it really means to be the Avatar? Can she even survive? Season One re-write. Eventual Bolin/Korra, Mako/Asami.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The White Lotus

**Author's Note:**

> Hi all. Well, the first season of The Legend of Korra has come to pass, and it left much to be desired in my opinion. Not only to I loathe the Korra/Mako pairing, but the character development was skewed horribly. My solution? Do a fanfiction re-write of course! It will mostly follow the same storyline as in the show, but there will be several changes as well, mostly in terms of some darker aspects. I hope that fans of the show, and those who haven't seen it yet, will enjoy this story. I have several chapters outlined and hope to have the next one up soon.
> 
> Keep in mind that this will enventually be Korra/Bolin and Mako/Asami in terms of couples.
> 
> Also, a lot of my ideas were refined by The Borra Rationalization by battybravery on tumblr. Look it up!
> 
> Betaed by: TaloTaFoReVeR523. Many thanks to him!

* * *

Korra was born in the middle of a storm.

Later, Senna and Tonraq would think it was rather fitting, but at the time they hadn't thought much about it. She didn't just cry when she was born: she screamed, and Senna was half sure the rest of the tribe would hear her even over the storm.

Tonraq liked to proudly proclaim that Korra was  _born_  kicking ass, and it was true. Her legs kicked out and somehow managed to hit Master Katara in the eye when she leaned too close. The story was retold so many times that Senna knew Korra would be able to recite the tale in her sleep.

Senna knew that all parents thought their children to be special, and she was no exception. Korra was loud, stubborn, and wonderful. Her irrepressible energy threatened to even tire out her father- not that Tonraq would ever admit to it, and if he did, it would only be with pride that his little girl was so strong. She was always the leader; in games with children, when helping Senna or Tonraq, with everything. Before an idea is even fully suggested, there Korra would be, toddling around on her little legs, determined to do it first.

By the time Korra was three, she'd figured out how to bend fire.

She was sitting on the rug, playing with her toys, when a strong wind came through and blew out all the lanterns. With a huff, she'd stood, and before Senna could even make a move to light them, fire had danced in front of her eyes, and the lanterns were lit again; along with the curtains. Senna had thrown water on it without thought a moment later, and looked down at Korra in amazement. Korra was grinning, unrepentant, delighted at her new skills.

The fact that fire was the first element Korra would bend would make sense in retrospect, but at the time Senna and Tonraq were nothing short of bewildered. Senna knew her family history, and there were no firebenders. Tonraq was a little less certain of his family, and they eventually agreed that it must have come from his side. There was a minor thought –  _what if?_  – but it was eventually dissuaded. Korra hadn't shown signs of any other bending, so clearly she was just a very odd case of a water tribe girl that could bend fire.

It came so naturally to her, and after a little while her parents adjusted. Among several jokes from Tonraq  _("always said you were hot-headed, Kor!")_  she seemed to teach herself fairly well; nothing too big or grandiose, and once she was old enough Senna promised to find her a proper teacher. They lost several curtains over the next two years, but Korra really  _was_  sorry, and tried to make her fireballs smaller.

A little before Korra turned five, she bent water. Playing with the kids in the snow, Korra discovered that when she moved her hands, she could also  _move_  the snow, and was able to splatter one of her opponents full in the face without ever making a snowball.

Now their moment of wondering was confirmed. Korra, their little girl, was the Avatar.

In the time it took to notify the White Lotus, Korra had also demonstrated earthbending. When she was too short to reach a treat, she bent the earth beneath her feet so that she could get too it. Tonraq came back in to find a pedestal in the kitchen, his five-year-old daughter sitting on it, happily eating cookies.

To Korra, it was no life-changing event to learn she was the Avatar.

"What's that mean?" She'd asked. "What's the Avatar?"

"Well, sweetie," Senna had begun. "It means that you can bend all four elements."

Korra had grinned. "I already knew that. I could always feel 'em." Then she had gone right on to playing with her toys.

Tonraq had burst out laughing. "Told you," he said proudly, kissing Senna quickly and then mussing Korra's hair. "She was born kicking ass!"

The reply from the White Lotus came, with a sort of haughty disbelief. How could a young couple have so easily discovered what they had been searching for, after all?

Senna didn't know it then, but the day the White Lotus came to meet Korra was the best, and the worst, day of her life.

Moments after the three old men came through her door, Korra jumped into the room, proudly proclaiming that she was The Avatar- and that they had to deal with it.

Tonraq burst out laughing, and Senna joined in, watching as the three men stared slack-jawed at their five year old. Then their expressions changed, into something she couldn't quite name. For a moment, she stared at them as they circled her little girl, and she had to fight the urge to step between them, and take Korra far away.

There are days where Senna wonders if she would have succeeded.

The moment passed, and the White Lotus declared that they had found the Avatar, and that they were "going to take it from here".

Under the law passed in Republic City, The Avatar now had to follow certain protocol when trained, for their own protection. Senna, Tonraq and Korra were moved outside of the village to a compound, that in record time was full of obstacle courses, firebending training courts, and more. Master Katara moved with them, so that she could begin teaching Korra the basics of waterbending.

Before they all left, Master Katara's son Tenzin, stopped by for a brief visit. One day he would be her airbending teacher, but for now he was a councilman in Republic City, and was needed there. He talked with Korra for a little while, and was gone the next day. After only knowing him for a few hours, Senna liked him more than any of the White Lotus. He was serious, but kind, and patient, which she knew would be needed for teaching Korra.

Moving was difficult, but Senna wanted to keep Korra safe. The world was largely peaceful now, but that didn't mean that there wouldn't still be people that would want to hurt her. The very idea woke Senna in the night, clutching at her husband. His hands would find hers; shaking, and she knew that he was afraid too.

Korra took it all with a wide-eyed excitement. To her, everything was new and therefore wonderful.

After they had been staying at the compound for a few weeks, Senna knew that her initial impression of the White Lotus teachers hadn't been far off. She didn't like them, and she knew Tonraq didn't either. Master Katara, Senna knew, was a kind and wise woman, and would be an excellent teacher. The other teachers however…

The first real glimpse of this came a month and a half after living on the compound. Everything, from a guard tower, to actual trained guards, were now in place, and the White Lotus insisted on getting started on Korra's basic training.

"She's only five years old!" Senna protested. "Shouldn't we wait a few years?"

The White Lotus all seemed to shake their heads as one, giving her a look that seemed to quite plainly say they considered her to rank lower than the snow beneath their boots. "The Avatar is an important figure to the entire world. Before, The Avatar was not told until they were sixteen who they were. However, under the new law imposed by Avatar Aang, each incarnation is to be told of their destiny as soon as possible."

"The  _idea_ ," Master Katara interjected, ignoring the glances from the members of the White Lotus, "Is that they would grow up with the knowledge, and grow naturally with their talents. It won't come on so suddenly, and they will hopefully be more adjusted to life as the Avatar by the time they are fully grown." She stopped, and smiled sadly, looking down the hall at where Korra was sleeping. "I know how difficult it was for Aang, having it all thrust upon you at once when he was older. Now we will be able to help Korra learn about her abilities so that she doesn't feel the way he did."

Master Katara always referred to Korra by name. The members of the White Lotus almost always called her "The Avatar".

"We won't get into any intense training yet," Master Katara went on. "It will mostly be the basics. Make sure she doesn't flood anything, or set anymore curtains on fire." She smiled, and Senna calmed a little, feeling Tonraq's hand relax in her own.

He hesitated, looking again at the White Lotus, all of whom seemed to literally have their noses in the air. He scowled, and waved a finger at them. "Don't you train her too, hard, you hear?"

"As Master Katara said," the man at the front stood straighter, "We will only be covering the basics. For now."

And so it began. Though Tonraq and Senna loved to watch Korra practice when they could, often they were busy with their own house, hunting, and more. Still, they were usually able to sit down and watch at least one of her practice sessions a day. The best ones to watch were the waterbending lessons; Korra laughed and smiled, and always waved at them.

The other sessions were different.

They had missed the first few. By the time they were able to sit down and watch, Korra had already had several lessons with the White Lotus. The leader, Yrak, always observed the sessions, even when they had nothing to do with the element he was familiar with.

Senna walked over to the earthbending court, watching with a smile on her face as Korra moved a few pebbles on the ground in a circle, her brows furrowed in concentration. One of the pebbles was slighter higher than the other, but the circle was almost perfectly round otherwise.

"No, no, no!" The earthbending teacher, Pon, rapped his heel on the ground. Korra looked at him furiously, the pebbles moving farther away from each other as her concentration was broken.

He put his foot on the pebble that was just a little higher than the others. "This one is not in line with the others!"

"Its just one!" Korra protested crossly, huffing and stepping back.

Yrak walked toward them purposefully. "And where do you think Avatar Aang would have been if he had thought that way?"

Senna's brows furrowed as Korra's shoulders slumped. She mumbled something Senna couldn't hear.

"That's right. He would have failed. He had to learn all of the elements in the course of a few months; you have years ahead of you. You are the Avatar. Get it right."

Senna stared at them, a little unbelieving. "Hold on," she called, quickly jogging over. "There's no reason to speak to her like that," she added as she stopped in front of them, catching her breath. Korra wouldn't look at her, and Senna's throat tightened at the sight.

"She's just learning," she went on after a moment.

"Ma'am," Yrak said, his voice full of self-importance, "The Avatar's training is a matter that does not concern you."

"Doesn't?! She's my daughter, of course it concerns me!" She spotted Tonraq walking up toward them, running when he noticed the look on her face.

"What's going on here?" Tonraq demanded, sliding next to them, looking from one face to the other.

"Sir," Yrak turned to him, the tone of his voice making Tonraq stiffen. "As I was telling your wife, because we are to train and protect the Avatar under the law, our sessions with her are non of your concern."

"The hell it isn't! Korra's our daughter, we can do what we-"

"As you said, sir, she is your daughter. And everything we do is to make her stronger, so that she can protect herself and protect the world. If we don't teach her the way that we see fit, someone could come along and hurt her." The words he was saying made sense, but Senna still didn't like the way he was saying them, even though she couldn't quite figure out why.

"You may not enjoy our methods," he went on, "but it is what is necessary for the Avatar, and the world."

Again that night Senna and Tonraq talked to each other, trying to decide what to do. It wasn't as if the teachers were hitting Korra, and they both knew how headstrong she could be. Some people needed a different form of teaching, and maybe this one truly would help Korra.

"I don't like them."

"Neither do I. Senna…I don't like them, but if they can truly help keep Korra safe…maybe, for now, we have to let them…"

"Maybe. They aren't yelling at her all the time or anything." Senna sighed in his arms, her heart feeling heavy. "I know that some teachers in the past were tough, because they needed to be. Korra doesn't always listen very well, even to us."

"I know." Tonraq kissed the top of her head. "I hate it. She's our little girl. But the thought of her in danger, it's just-" his arms tightened around her, and she nodded into his chest. "We have to do everything we can to make sure she'll be okay," he added.

"Yes. But…if this gets worse-"

"-we'll  _make_  the White Lotus listen," he finished for her, and she couldn't help but smile.

And so the days passed on. Yrak stopped by to tell them that he thought it will be best if they only watched the sessions from a distance, so as to "not distract the Avatar from her training."

Reluctantly, Senna and Tonraq agreed.

Subtly, they began to notice a change in their daughter. She still chattered when she came home to dinner, still woke up excited, but there was something different still. Something had changed, and not in a good way. Over the months they would sometimes find Korra up late at night practicing moves, even just the basic ones. There was a thirst in her to move forward, to do more difficult techniques. Any problems or mistakes made her furious, the beginnings of tears filling her eyes.

She's not sure who told the story of Avatar Aang originally, though she suspects it was the White Lotus guards. She knew they didn't mean anything by it, but every time someone mentions the story, or the previous Avatar, Korra would stiffen.

All of it went beyond wanting to lead, or do well. It went beyond training hard. She was still confident, shouting to anyone that would hear that she was the Avatar, that she would win, but still, it was different, and Senna couldn't quite explain how.

When asked about how she was doing, Korra always said she was "fine" or "good", and no matter how much they both asked, wouldn't tell her parents anything otherwise.

Korra turned six a few months later, and that same night, Senna heard her crying in her room. Tonraq was already in there trying to soothe her.

"Kor-Korra, sweetheart, what's wrong?"

Senna went in without a word, crouching beside her daughter's bed. Her face was buried in the pillow, her heaving sobs still ringing in their ears. Her words were almost unintelligible.

"Korra?" Senna asked gently, touching her shoulder.

Korra sat up quickly, her eyes red, tears pouring down her cheeks. "I can't get this stupid firebending move right!"

Senna felt relieved for a moment, and then confused. "Korra, I know that can be frustrating sweetheart, but-"

"No!" Korra's palm slapped her bed, hard. "No, you don't  _understand_! I'm the  _Avatar_!" Her voice broke for a moment. "I'm the Avatar. I have to get it right."

This echo of what Yrak had said to her so many months ago was the last straw.

"Korra, Korra you listen to me." Tonraq grasped his daughter by the shoulders. "That's not what it means at all. It's okay to mess up. Everyone does-"

"But I'm the Avatar!" She said again, her voice impossibly small. "I'm special…"

She fell into her father's arms, burying her face in his chest, sobbing. Tonraq looked over her head at Senna, his face set. She nodded. No more of this. The White Lotus was not going to do this to their daughter any longer.

As with most things, it was easier said, than done.

They confronted the White Lotus the moment Korra was asleep, and were told quite coldly by Yrak that any intervention in the Avatar's training on their part was against the law.

"You know," he said, smiling condescendingly, "We do not have to allow you to live with Korra. If we wanted to say that you were a danger to the Avatar, and a disruption, you would be arrested. Or we could advise that it's better for the Avatar to be trained away from you. And you wouldn't be allowed to see her for a very long time."

"You can't do that, you-" Tonraq hissed, raising his fists.

"I'm afraid you'll find that we can, sir." Yrack raised his eyebrows at Tonraq's fist. "I wouldn't do that if I were-"

Two very strong blasts of water hit him square in the face at the same time, sending him flying backwards. His head knocked back against a pole, and he fell to the ground, unconscious.

Tonraq lowered his hands, and they both whirled around to see where the second water blast had come from.

Master Katara stood there, her eyes narrowed. Senna and Tonraq took only a moment to register this.

"He won't be happy when he wakes up," Master Katara warned.

"Then let's get out of here before he does," Tonraq sprinted back toward their hut, Senna following behind, and Katara a ways behind her.

"We are getting out of here," he said quickly the moment she was inside the door. She could hear Katara huffing behind her, and let the poor woman pass her by to rest for a moment.

"Yes," Senna said, and her husband glanced at her, frantic and worried and determined. "We are getting out of here. I'll get some of Korra's things together. Pack food, clothes, anything we can carry that won't slow us down too much."

He nodded, and she stopped for a moment in front of the old woman. "Master Katara, would you come with us?"

She smiled a little. "Please, just call me Katara. And no. I'll stay behind and send a letter to my son in Republic City. Once he's aware of the situation, he can help us. Now hurry."

Senna nodded, and without another word, ran into Korra's room. She could faintly hear Katara telling Tonraq about a place she thought they could slip through unnoticed. It took only a few minutes to get everything ready, and they were out the door, Korra still asleep and nestled amongst many blankets against Senna's chest.

 _It's a good thing she's such a deep sleeper,_  Senna thought, tucking her daughter's hair carefully into the wrap of blankets.

The night was quiet. There was no sign that the other members of the White Lotus were awake, and the guards on top of the walls were still. The snow crunching beneath their boots seemed like it was too loud. Every moment, Senna was half sure the guards would come charging after them.

They slipped past the obstacle courses, the firebending court, and tried to mostly keep against the wall. It was so flat in there that if the guards decided to look their way they'd be spotted almost instantly.

"Katara said that there's a weak spot in the wall toward the back," Tonraq whispered. "She said if I can waterbend carefully, we should be able to soften it, and crawl through."

Senna nodded. "Alright." They hadn't had time to discuss where they would go from there, but she supposed it didn't matter at the moment.

They slowly made their way toward the back of the encampment. "I think it's just ahead," Tonraq said quietly, when a shout broke the utter silence.

Lights flared, and thumps sounded all around them as the guards slid down the walls toward them. Senna could hear the sound of the White Lotus leaders yelling, everything blurring around her as Tonraq tried to fight them off and screamed at her to run.

Her feet were stuck in the snow as she clutched Korra to her breast, her daughter just now waking and demanding to know what was going on.

The lights were so bright in her eyes, and Senna called for Tonraq but didn't hear him respond. Desperately she tried to twist around and look at him while Korra started crying, and the wind whistled in her ears as the lights dimmed.

They were surrounded.

Yrak stood at the front, glaring at them. There was a red spot on his head. The other members of the White Lotus were behind him. " _I told you,"_  he hissed furiously. "I told you what would happen if you broke the law."

In the end, Korra is not taken from them. Senna doesn't know what spirits to thank for that.

Instead, rightfully believing them to be under his thumb now, Yrak orders that their letters be checked before they are sent out. Tonraq is no longer allowed to go hunting, and instead someone from the tribe delivers meat to them on a weekly basis. Senna and Tonraq never see who it is.

Korra, beyond confused by the events of that night, was not told the full details of what happened. Senna and Tonraq knew that she would not completely understand, but vowed to tell her when she is older.

Katara, thankfully, was not punished. Yrak, not realizing that there had been two waterbenders to hit him in the face that night, still sought her wisdom, though he has a clear distaste for her familiarity with "the Avatar's parents".

All they can do is try and give Korra a place to come home to. A place where she is wanted, simply for being herself. They do what they can, but Senna has a feeling that it didn't help much. Korra was still being told on a daily basis that she was the Avatar; special, deserving of praise for merely existing, but also flawed, something that needed to be fixed, because she was not like the Avatar they had all read about.

The years passed.

Korra continued to get stronger, faster, and yet…

There is still that  _change_  to her every action. It was a change that Korra didn't recognize or understand, but one that hurt her every day.

When a small polar bear dog pup is found just beyond the walls by the White Lotus, Tonraq took it back home with the plan of nursing it to health and releasing it in the wild.

Korra had other ideas. Ignoring all warnings of how vicious polar bear dogs could be, she eventually convinced her parents to let her keep it, because at least this way she would have  _some_  company. And so, at the age of fourteen, Korra raised, tamed, and trained, a polar bear dog. She was the first person to ever do so.

Naga turned out to be a wonderful pet and companion for their daughter, and Senna was grateful every day that Naga made Korra smile. But there was still a darker aspect to it all.

Korra tamed a polar bear dog when no one else had. But more importantly, Avatar Aang hadn't either. Senna had a feeling that on some level, Korra saw it as the only thing she had done to ever "one-up" her predecessor, and Senna cursed the White Lotus all the more for what they had done to Korra over the years.

Still, there was brightness in their lives. Korra grew to look like a perfect combination of Senna and Tonraq; Senna's blue eyes and pointed chin, Tonraq's nose and brown hair. She grew to be taller than her mother, but still shorter than her father. She was beautiful, from the inside and out. She grew to be stubborn, generally kind, with a desire to help others, a little selfish, impatient, and easily frustrated, but witty and determined, and with a smile that could light up a room.

Not too long after Korra turned seventeen, she finished her firebending training. Tenzin, the son of the previous Avatar and the only person who could teach her airbending, would soon be flying down to stay with them. He had occasionally sent letters over the years, and Senna knew he was a different sort than the White Lotus. She hoped he would help Korra. He had to.

(~-~-~-~-~-~-~)

The sky was clear.

Korra rocked back and forth on her heels, Katara at her side, searching that clear sky for any sign of a sky bison. She'd seen pictures of them in the books Master Katara and the others had her read, but she hadn't seen a real one in a long time. She fought to keep herself from jumping up and down. Finally! Finally she would be able to learn airbending, and then she would know all the elements, then she would be a true Avatar.

She would be able to  _leave_.

She spotted a moving shape in the distance, and actually gasped aloud as the sky bison – Oogi, Katara said his name was –landed in front of them with a thump. It looked at her with dark eyes, kind of like Naga's, shaking its head a little to clear its thick fur coat of snow.

A high-pitched voice could be heard from the creature's back. "-we're there aren't we? Oh daddy,  _please_  tell me we're there!"

"Yes, Ikki," The middle aged man sitting on top of the bison said tiredly. "As I've been telling you for the past fifteen minutes, we are  _finally_  here."

"Yippeeeee!" A small orange and yellow clad girl leapt off the back of the bison, followed by another, older girl. They easily and gracefully moved the air around them to a soft landing.

The middle-aged man, Tenzin, Korra knew, slid off Oogi's side, a little boy sitting on his shoulders and pulling at his ears. "Hello mother," he sighed, walked toward Katara. "Please," he said in a lower voice. "Help me."

Katara laughed as Tenzin bent over, and she pulled the young boy from his father's shoulders.

"Ahh! Unhand me, strange woman!" The boy yelled, wiggling in her grip.

"That's your grandmother, Meelo," Tenzin said, seeming a little more awake now that his son was no longer trying to pull his ears off.

Ignoring this, Meelo, like his sisters, easily bent air and flipped over Katara, landing on her other side and running toward his sisters to play in the snow.

Katara shook off her surprise and turned toward her son. "Its so good to see all of you."

Tenzin nodded, but was distracted by the woman climbing down the Bison with some difficulty; her belly rounded by pregnancy.

"Pema!" He was at her side in an instant, saying tenderly, "Let me help you."

She swatted his hand away. "I'm not infirmed, I'm just pregnant! Stop being so overprotective!"

The older girl ran up to Katara, asking her something about someone's mother, but Korra didn't hear her, watching Tenzin, her insides feeling tight.

Finally he turned his eyes toward her, and her insides relaxed. Like his children, he was wearing orange and yellow, styled rather like ancient robes. He was bald, with a tattoo of a blue arrow on his head. He also had a long, pointed, brown beard. He smiled warmly. "Korra?" His wife, Pema, looked over at her and smiled as well. She was rather pretty, with brown eyes, and brown hair pulled back into a bun. She was wearing the same colors as the rest of her family, although hers was fitted as a maternity dress.

Korra jogged over to him, her hands twisting behind her back. This was Avatar Aang's son. He looked her over, and she wondered if he was searching for some sign of his father in her face, impossible as it might have been.

People always did that, though. Surely some part of her had to be like Avatar Aang; some early kind of proof that she would be just as amazing as he was.

"Its so good to see you again," He went on, putting his hands on her shoulders. Her memories of his one visit were faint, but she rather thought he looked like how she remembered.

"You too," Korra grinned. "I am so glad you're here Master Tenzin! I can't wait to start my airbending training!"

At this, Tenzin hesitated. "Yes. Well…"

His wife shot him a glance. "You're going to have to tell her sometime, you know."

The tightness began to return to her stomach. "Tell me what?"

He hesitated again. "I'd rather tell you when we're with the White Lotus. They wanted to meet with me straight off anyway."

Katara was looking at him sadly. "You…" She stopped for a moment, and then went on. "You're not staying, are you?"

Tenzin glanced at her, and then shook his head. "I'm afraid not." He ran a hand over his head, and looked at his wife again before turning his eyes toward Korra.

"What?" She asked, shock at war with her devastation, " _Why_?"

He shuffled uncomfortably. "I really would rather talk this over with the White Lotus at the same time I tell you. Come on." He walked in the direction of the White Lotus's tents, Korra trailing after him, her heart thudding in her chest.

 _What if- what if he knows? What if he can tell?_  Her hands twisted anxiously as she jogged after him, praying that it wasn't true. Tenzin was her only option to teach her airbending. Her only hope.

(~-~-~-~-~-~-~)

Korra stood in the doorway, the darkness framing her body.

"Korra?" Senna walked out from the kitchen, Tonraq standing from his place by the fire, a half carved something on the floor. "What is it? What's wrong?"

Korra stepped farther into the tent. She wasn't crying, but standing there, she looked so...defeated. As if she had lost everything. "Tenzin didn't come to town to teach me," she said, and her voice cracked. "He just came to say that he couldn't. He's going back to Republic City tomorrow." She took a deep breath, like she wanted to say more, bright blue eyes shining, and then she turned and ran back out the doorway.

"Korra!" They both ran after her, catching sight of her retreating shape in the dark, headed toward the stables, and Naga's comfort.

Senna stopped, and grabbed her husband's arm as he was about to keep chasing after her. Senna felt like her voice wouldn't work. She cleared her throat, and tried to speak. "He won't be staying here. Won't be teaching her."

Tonraq's shoulders slumped, and he turned back toward her. "I know."

Her hand clenched on his arm, and this time when she spoke, her voice was strong. "We can't let that happen. If he isn't going to stay here, then he's going to take her with him."

He was startled for a moment, and then he smiled sadly, smoothing back her hair and kissing her forehead. "That's my girl," he said fondly, and she leaned into his strong arms- her own comfort, resting her head at his heart. They didn't hold the embrace for long, and soon they were rushing toward Katara's hut, where Tenzin was staying. They had nothing to fear from the White Lotus; surely they wanted Tenzin to teach Korra as well?

The moment that they arrived, Katara stepped out, looking slightly surprise. Her expression molded into understanding. "Good luck," she said quietly. "Where is Korra?"

"The stables, with Naga."

The old woman nodded slowly. "I'll leave her to that, I think." She glanced back in toward her hut, and then walked around them. She stopped behind them. "Tenzin is just as stubborn as Korra in some ways. But I think he will come around." She continued walking a little, leaving them in turn to argue with her son.

Senna and Tonraq burst into the hut, ignoring the startled glances that Tenzin and his wife shot at them. There was no sign of their children; they were probably in the small back room that Katara had wanted in case the family came to visit.

"What-" Tenzin began, but Senna cut across him. "You have to teach Korra airbending!"

He blinked, and for a moment looked frustrated. "I can't right now. Republic City needs me too much, things are very restless there right now-"

"Then take Korra with you!" Tonraq stepped forward.

Tenzin drew back a little. His wife was watching them with concern. "I can't do that, I'm sorry," he went on, clearly trying to calm them down. "Its too dangerous for-"

" _Please_ , you have to!" Senna clasped her hands together imploringly.

"I can't do that!" he repeated, this time truly irritated. "Republic City isn't a safe place for Korra right now-"

"She can't stay here any longer!" Tonraq moved closer still, seeming to restrain himself from shouting, his hand clutching at his wife's. "She is a prisoner here. Because of the law that is supposed to protect the Avatar- the trainers from the White Lotus have gone too far! We're not allowed to  _leave_!"

Tenzin frowned, and glanced at his wife, then back at them. "What do you mean, you're not allowed to leave?"

Senna wiped at her eyes. "I- I know the law was written with good intentions- everyone's heard of how good a man your father was- but those men from the White Lotus have twisted it! We're all prisoners here. Korra hasn't seen or interacted with anyone her age since she was five. Her trainers, her guards, and us- we're the only people and things that she knows. They don't- they don't think of her as a person! She's just the  _Avatar_  to them and because of that- that  _damnable_  law they're keeping her here, and its only hurting her!"

"They won't let us leave," Tonraq added. "We tried- once we realized what this was doing, we tried to run, to find some way- your mother tried to help us- but under the law, we are disrupting the training of the Avatar, and they will use their guards to stop us if we break that law."

Tenzin's mouth hung open. "They- they can't do this! This is not what my father wanted to happen-!"

"It's the law, right now." Tonraq said, his face set in stone. "And you know how long it can take for laws to change."

Tenzin looked at the ground, his hands fisting. "I cannot- I cannot believe that they have perverted the law this way," He spoke quietly. "The moment I get back to Republic City, I will deal with this, I promise you."

"And Korra?"

Pema took her husband's hand. He was still frowning. "I want to help- but Republic City is full of unrest right now. I would fear for Korra's life if she were to go."

Senna and Tonraq looked at each other, and then at him. "Right now," Tonraq said softly, "She hardly has a life to loose. She doesn't even know it, really- thinks that it's normal. The praise and the pressure and this- this belief that she's just the Avatar, and nothing else, do you understand? She needs to live, and she can't do that here. But if she goes with you for training, she can."

"We don't want to put Korra in danger. We love her so much, but please, you have to take her with you."

Tenzin looked at them, and this time there was fire in his eyes. "Yes," he said finally. "I will take her. But you are coming too. I won't leave you here to be prisoners, and I will not separate you from Korra."

(~-~-~-~-~-~-~)

Avatar Aang was patient.  _I'm not._

Avatar Aang was selfless.  _Endlessly kind. Not like me._

He never picked a fight.  _I always pick fights._

He saved the world when he was twelve _. I haven't done anything._

Avatar Aang was wise, and always knew what to do.  _I never know what to say or do._

The thoughts flew in circles.

_I'll never be half the Avatar he was._

Korra stared at the ceiling above her, feeling Naga's warmth around her entire body.

Tenzin said that he couldn't teach her because of the dangers in Republic City, and couldn't take her there either. What could be going on that was so dangerous?

And still the thoughts poked at her.  _Maybe he realized that you'll never be like-_

Thudding footsteps jolted her out of her thoughts. Naga raised her head, and Korra jumped to her feet, ready to shout herself hoarse at whoever was coming toward her. She blinked as her parents made their way toward her. Both of them were grinning, and her mom and tears in her eyes. Before she could say anything, they had pulled her into a tight hug.

"Wh-what?"

Her mom pulled back, smiling wider than Korra had ever seen her do before. "Korra, sweetheart, we talked to Tenzin. We're all going with him to Republic City, so that he can start your airbending training!" She hugged her again.

The words didn't seem real. Korra felt frozen. And then, like water breaking through thin ice, the excitement flew out of her.  _"Whooo-whoooooo!"_  She jumped into her parent's embrace, hugging them back tight enough to make them gasp.

She turned back toward Naga, and threw her arms around her neck. "Can you believe it, Naga? Republic City get ready: the Avatar is on the way!"


	2. Welcome to Republic City

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi all. I hope a very long chapter will satisfy you all. I did not intend for this to be as long as it is, and I had some trouble writing it. No Mako or Bolin yet, but they will be in the next chapter! I used the fan name for Zuko's daughter here, and some of you may notice that I used a fan name for one of the White Lotus guards as well.

* * *

Within moments of arriving on Air Temple Island in Republic City, Tenzin was hurrying inside his home, heading for the nearest phone. The other acolytes watched him pass with worried expressions, and he could hear his children asking Pema why he was moving so fast.

He turned down the hall, entering his and Pema's room, picking up the phone. "Operator," the cool voice on the other line said.

"Connect me to the Fire Nation, Lady Honora please."

"Do you have the direct codes required to-?"

"Yes, yes!" Tenzin impatiently pulled a slip of paper from his bedside table. "I-R-Z-0-0-4." Though he'd sent a letter ahead to the Council, telling them of the White Lotus's doings, he had not had a chance to speak with the family of one of the White Lotus's founders. He frowned. If Iroh were alive to see what they had done…

"Hello?"

"Hello! Honora, its Tenzin."

"Tenzin!" He could hear the smile in her voice. "Its good to hear from you."

"Yes," Tenzin hesitated. "I'm afraid this isn't much of a social call. Is your father around? I know he was planning on leaving soon."

"He's still here. Is something wrong? Have things in Republic City gotten worse?"

"No, no. I'm afraid it's a problem with the White Lotus."

For a moment, Honora was silent. "My father will be here in a moment. Give me all the details the second you are done speaking with him." In that moment, she was Honora, Lady of the Fire Nation. Not his childhood friend. It still made him smile. She'd always been able to command authority.

"Of course."

There was a fumbling for a moment, and then the older, deeper, voice of former Firelord Zuko came to him. "Tenzin?"

"Hello, Zuko." When he was a child, he had called him 'Uncle Zuko', but had long been old enough to call him only by his name. The former Firelord now primarily served as an ambassador, and did a lot of traveling in his old age. Tenzin was lucky to catch him.

"Zuko, I'm afraid that the White Lotus have been twisting the law imposed by my father to suit their own devices."

" _What?!_ " He heard what sounded like Zuko standing up from a chair. "In what way?"

"In short: they held Avatar Korra and her family as prisoners for the past years. In addition, her parents have informed me that the majority of them were poor teachers, that when teaching her how to bend, may have done more harm than good."

"I don't believe this…" Zuko sounded as if he were in shock. "What about Katara?"

"My mother tried to help them, but under the law as it is she and Korra's parents were taking illegal action by trying to stop them."

Zuko growled. Tenzin had often heard tales from his father of how Zuko had been when he was young. It was one of the strangest stories to hear; going from enemies to close friends in the way his father and Zuko had. One of the prevailing stories had been about Zuko and his temper. Though considerably calmer now, Tenzin had over the years seen his temper enough to know that those old stories were true.

"Those  _bastards_. Daring to call themselves White Lotus. My Uncle would have been horrified to learn what has been happening." He stopped suddenly, as if just remembering. "The young Avatar! I assume you're not letting her or her family stay there any longer? Or Katara for that matter?"

"No." Tenzin shook his head; a strange habit to have when speaking on the phone, but one he couldn't seem to stop doing. "My mother is remaining in the Southern Water Tribe to serve as a healer to the village, but Korra and her family are coming here to live with me while she is undergoing her airbending training. They are on a ship right now. We couldn't all fit on Oogi, especially not with Korra's polar bear dog." He frowned. "The members of the White Lotus are on another boat, but in shackles. Under the strictest definition of the law or not, they had no reason to keep a family as their prisoners, and they will be facing a trial. Korra and her family will likely be called to testify, but not for some time. Due to the nature of this –and its relation to the Avatar – the council members here won't be able to do much of anything. I'm certain delegations from all four nations will be called to serve as jury."

He could imagine Zuko nodding on the other side. "I may find myself in Republic City for that trial, if I can."

Pema walked into the room, shooting him a questioning glance. He nodded once at her, and gestured that he would just be another moment. "I think that would be fitting."

"How is the young Avatar Korra? What the White Lotus have been doing to her….well, she may be unstable."

Tenzin watched his wife. She was carrying another child for them to raise and love. To think of anyone treating his children the way the White Lotus had treated Korra…it made his hands clench at his sides. "I think she is hurting. Her parents have been able to tell me a little, but from what I understand Korra isn't particularly forthcoming. I don't think it will all be fixed by bringing her here. Maybe we'll just make it worse, with how dangerous it could get here." He thought of his children again, in her place, and went on. "However, we  _have_  to try to help her. I hope we can help her."

Zuko laughed softly. "Sometimes, you are very much like your father."

This comment made his gaze feel a little watery for a moment, but he blinked it away. Pema took his hand, and he looked out at the bay. Korra would be here tomorrow, if he was correct, and then he would see where this decision would go.

(~-~-~-~-~-~-~)

The wind made her hair tickle her nose as Korra stood at the front of the ship, watching the horizon, waiting to catch sight of Republic City. Tenzin would have been back for a day now, and they were supposed to reach the city this afternoon. Naga nosed her hand, and she smiled a little, putting her hand on top of her soft head, rubbing her ears gently.

"Good morning Avatar Korra!" One of the ship's crew called to her as he walked past. She turned a little and waved at him. "Morning!" The White Lotus Guards stood nearby, watching him carefully as he walked toward the captain's cabin.

It was a little strange, in some ways, having the guards come with them. On the one hand, they were the ones who had helped the White Lotus leaders keep her and her family prisoner. On the other hand, they were never mean to her, never malicious, and she distinctly remembered a few of them sneaking her some chocolate over the years. On top of that…she was used to them being there. Her jailers and bodyguards all rolled into one.

_Tenzin is going to teach me airbending. I can still do it. No one will have to know. I can still be a great Avatar. The best Avatar there ever was._

Naga, sensing her stress, snuffed a little at her hand, and Korra felt herself relax.

"Korra?"

She turned around. Her dad was standing there. His hood was down, and his hair, just like Korra's, was moving a little in the wind. A few of the ornamental water tribe beads clicked together softly.

"Hey, dad. What is it?"

He smiled a little, and walked toward her. In the days on this ship, her parents had smiled more than she could ever remember them smiling her whole life. Not that they'd never smiled before; they'd always tried to make the best out of a bad situation. "You mom's still laying down. Long-term sea travel doesn't agree with her."

Korra chuckled a little at the irony of the situation of a water tribe woman who got seasick, and then stopped, noticing that her dad seemed a little hesitant.

"Kor…" He took a breath, and then went on. "I know we never talked a lot, about the White Lotus. Maybe we should have, but your mom and I- we were just trying to make sure that-"

"I know." Korra looked back out at the ocean. It was true that they'd almost never talked about it. When she'd turned twelve, they'd told her the story of their disastrous escape attempt. All she remembered from it were snippets of sound and bright lights. She knew that they'd done the best that they could. She knew that they'd tried to make her laugh, to teach her about the world. A sudden memory flew across her eyes, and her fingers clenched on the railing.

" _Korra, you know how much we love you, right? And how very special you are?"_

" _I know," she said, quietly. "I'm the Avatar. I'm special."_

_Her mom had looked up from the pants she had been sewing, and her dad had stopped dead on his way to get more logs for the fire._

" _No." Her mom looked at her, and by some kind of unseen power, Korra looked right back, into her eyes. "No, Korra. That's not it. Yes, you are the Avatar, and that's special, but that's not why_ _ **you're**_ _special."_

_She blinked, confused. "I don't-"_

" _You're special because you're Korra," Her dad had said from the doorway, and her head had flipped toward him. He looked so…soft. And sad._

" _Yes. We love you. Because you're Korra. You see?"_

"Korra?"

She blinked, feeling a hand on her shoulder, and saw her dad standing at her side, concerned. She smiled, and then threw her arms around him.

"Love you dad," she said into his chest. She felt it rumble as he laughed. "Love you, too, Kor," he replied, wrapping his arms around her.

She was the Avatar. Her parents had loved her before they'd ever known who she really was, and somehow it made a difference. Her parents had tried to make her laugh, and teach her about the world, yes, but the White Lotus – jailers or not – had taught her about being the Avatar.

People made encampments for the Avatar, built statues of the Avatar, gave free food and gifts and love to the Avatar. She knew all of that to be true.

The rest of the world was about to meet their Avatar. She couldn't mess up.

She was the Avatar. She had to get it right.

Her dad stayed with her for a while, his arm around her shoulder. As the morning turned into the afternoon, he went to check on her mom, and Korra stared at the ocean again, Naga at her side.

Finally, she could see it in the distance. Her first, stupid, thought was that it was smaller than she'd expected.  _Of course its smaller, you're looking at it from far away! And you're probably not even seeing all of it!_

Korra couldn't help but lean over the side a little, her breath caught in her throat. A huge city- with people and different types of food and benders and tall buildings, all waiting for her. Even from a distance, she knew she'd never seen anything like it.

"Look at it Naga," She breathed. Naga made a huffing sound, as if it wasn't all  _that_  impressive, and Korra laughed. Behind her, the crew was preparing for docking, and every minute they came closer and closer to the city. The buildings were even bigger than she'd imagined, and all the different colors where almost too much to take in.

"Korra!" Her dad called. "Come on, get your stuff ready. We're going to be getting off soon!"

"Okay!" She called back, cupping her hand around her mouth. "Wait here Naga," she said as she jogged toward the cabin she'd been sharing with her parents.

Her mother was a little pale, but fairly steady on her feet. "I think the knowledge that we're about to dock is giving me strength," she muttered, and Korra grinned. Her things were a little strewn about the cabin (she'd never been the most organized) but in no time at all she had everything packed up again, and out the door, her parents following behind. The rest of their things were in the lower quarters, and the ship's crew would be helping them with that.

"You should get a great view of the city, Avatar Korra," another shipmate told her as they waited near the front of the ship. "We're going to pass most of it on our way to Yue Bay and Air Temple Island."

She nodded, entranced as they came to the edge of the city. Korra leaned over the railing again. "Wow," she gasped, looking back and her parents and pointing excitedly. "A satomobile!"

Her parents smiled and nodded, joining her near the edge, though her mother seemed determined to not look down at the waves, going a little paler.

Korra had only ever seen pictures of satomobiles in books, nothing up close. She watched it go by, its sleek metal body shining, wheels spinning faster than her eyes could track.

The boat started to move out further into the bay, and Korra frowned a little as the City and all its details became more vague.

"Look, Avatar Korra! Its your past life!"

She turned around.

A massive statue of Avatar Aang was in the middle of the bay on a tiny island. He stood, looking out at the city with his staff in front of him, almost as if he was still ready to protect it. He looked young: older than when he saved the world, but still a young man.

_They build statues of the Avatar._

She could feel her parents beside her, watching her, but she couldn't turn her eyes away. She stared up at his face.

_I wonder if you look from the spirit world at me, and are disappointed._

Korra wasn't even aware of the minutes passing, but her parents lightly tapped her, and she snapped out of it. The statue was farther away now than she remembered.

"We're almost at the island, Korra." Her mom said softly, still a little pale. "Are you alright?"

"Fine, mom." Her mom continued to look at her, and Korra sighed a little. "Its just…a big statue."

"Yes," she said, "it is, but Korra, you know that you-"

"Alright everyone!" The captain called, unintentionally cutting Senna off, "Last minute checks! Get everything together!"

Korra smiled a little. "Its okay mom. Really."

Senna didn't look like she believed her, but with the crew rushing around and the shoreline ever closer, there was no time to push the issue.

Within a few minutes they were pulling up onto the shore. Korra could see Tenzin and his family waiting for them, a few of the air acolytes (Katara had told her they were typically non benders who simply wished to practice the airbending lifestyle) next to him as well. The island itself had several small, squat buildings, connected through a series of outdoor hallways. Everyone seemed to be wearing orange and yellow robes of some kind, and Korra found herself wondering if it was required.

Tenzin and Pema waved, while Meelo and Ikki bounced up and down in excitement. Jinora, the oldest girl, merely watched them silently, smiling a little as the ramp went down and they started to unload everything.

"Master Tenzin!" Korra waved back at him, Naga bounding down the ramp, carrying a bag in her mouth, other bags loaded onto the sides of her saddle. Korra slid down easily as her parents came down the ramp after her, carrying their own drawstring water tribe bags.

Senna and Tonraq quickly bowed to Tenzin, smiling widely. "We can't thank you enough for this," Senna said, and Tonraq nodded, adding, "We don't know how we can ever make it up to you."

Tenzin waved a hand. "Don't think about making it up to me. I hope you make yourselves at home." He turned to Korra, and opened his mouth when Ikki cut across him, jumping in front of Korra, bouncing on the balls of her feet.

"Korra, Korra! Daddy says you're gonna live with us cause the White Lotus were mean! Is that true? And you're going to learn airbending! How come you can't airbend yet?"

"Uh-"

"Ikki," Pema said sharply. "Remember to breathe. And let Korra get settled before you bombard her with questions."

Ikki pouted. The oldest girl – Jinora – came forward and gave a slight bow. "Its nice to really meet you," she said, smiling a little. "I don't think we really had the chance to say anything to each other before. I hope you like living here."

"Th-thanks," Korra rubbed the back of her head, a little surprised. At that moment, Meelo sped past them, shouting a quick – "Don't touch my stuff!" back to her as he went.

Korra blinked after him while her parents burst out in laughter.

Pema rolled her eyes while Tenzin sighed as Ikki chased after Meelo, Jinora following after a moment, saying that they were being "immature".

"Let's get you all settled in, okay?" Pema said, clapping her hands together. "We can show you to your rooms this way."

Korra patted Naga's side. "Come on, girl." They trotted after them, a few of the air acolytes following, while still more members of the ship's crew dropped off luggage on the pier.

"The sky bison sleep in the caves on the other side of island," Tenzin was explaining as they walked. Korra only half listened, tugging at her coat. She'd known that the South Pole was one of the coldest places on the planet, but somehow she still hadn't imagined that somewhere else could be so  _warm_.

She glanced back toward the statue of Avatar Aang, her hand nestled in Naga's fur. She kept her eyes on it for as long as she could, her stomach tight, before they turned a corner and she lost sight of it.

(~-~-~-~-~-~)

After unpacking, Korra had been anxious to explore the city. After a little wheedling, her parents had agreed, but only if she took two of the White Lotus guards with her, even though she would have Naga around as well.

Grumbling a little, Korra had agreed. It wasn't long before she'd made a few plans.

The guards themselves were okay; Rho was a bit stiff, with a mustache that looked as if he glued it onto his face each day. Howl was younger, quiet, and at first Korra thought that maybe she would be able to persuade him to let her be alone (or to at least walk further behind her!) but no such luck. A little timid or not, he was loyal to his duty of protecting the Avatar. Within a few minutes, Korra was starting to get desperate. They didn't let her try any of the street food (worried that it was poisoned) and they also insisted on walking on either side of her when they crossed the street, and even when they were walking on the sidewalk. People were staring, and couldn't get within two feet of her either.

So, Korra gave them the slip.

Honestly, it wasn't as if they could hope to catch up with a polar bear dog. Not one for detailed plans, especially when there was so much she wanted to do right that second, she just pushed her heels into Naga's sides and they sped off before the White Lotus could even shout after her.

"Run, Naga, run!" Korra urged as they went down and alley and out into the street. Satomobiles screeched all around her as they came to sudden stops, and swerved out of the way of her and Naga. "Sorry!" She called back to them, wincing. They ran over a bridge and down another street, squeezed into an alley by a restaurant called ' _Narook's Noodlery'_ , and then emerged again into a different street before they slowed down.

Korra looked all around for some sign of the guards, or some indication that people were looking for her. A few people glanced at her, sitting on top of her polar bear dog, but most barely glanced at them.

"Whew. I think we lost them girl." Korra patted Naga's neck, and they walked forward more slowly, letting people walk around them, and giving satomobiles a wide berth. Again, Korra was struck by the size of everything. She'd never seen any glaciers as big as the buildings here, let alone so many people at once.

People were everywhere; talking, yelling, walking, laughing. There were children, and people that looked older than Katara. A few people seemed to be performing tricks of some kind for money to a clapping crowd.

On top of all the sights, there was the noise, not to mention the smells. Satomobiles were honking, birds and other animals were calling, and people's voices buzzed around her like so many buzzard wasps. The smells were a million mixtures of things she couldn't have even described. There was smoke and food, sweat, sun, stone, and more. Korra felt as if she could have spent all day just taking everything in, but Naga pulled forward suddenly, giving an excited yip, heading straight for a food vender selling some kind of meat on sticks.

"Whoa, girl," Korra said, and Naga slowed down, coming to a stop right in front of the vendor. Korra slid off the saddle, and Naga stuck her head inside the tented stall, the woman inside giving a surprised yelp.

"Naga, wait," Korra said sharply, and Naga pulled back, sitting down and wagging her tail. Korra couldn't help but smile, and approached the vendor. "Sorry about that," she said, leaning in a little closer to smell everything. Whatever the meat was, it smelled delicious. "We'll take one of everything, please."

The older woman inside glanced at Naga, but then nodded. "That will be twenty yuans." Her voice was clipped, businesslike.

 _Yuans? Oh shit._ The White Lotus had money, she knew, and she hadn't thought to ask her parents for any. "I um, don't have any money?"

The woman drew back haughtily. "Then what good are you to me?!" She closed the curtain on her cart.

"But, I'm…" Korra stopped. None of the people knew her to be the Avatar. No one looked at her, no one expected anything of her, or gave her anything simply because of who she was. She turned around, and patted Naga's head. "Don't worry, girl. The city's huge! We'll find a way to rustle up something to eat."

Thankfully, within minutes they found themselves at a park with more grass than Korra had ever seen, along with a lake and a stream with fish in it.

Catching fish with waterbending was one of the easiest things in the world, and cooking them with firebending was even easier. Tossing a few to Naga, Korra sat down eagerly to dig into her own fish, when a slight rustling from a nearby bush stopped her. Glancing at it, Korra jumped in surprise as a man sprung out of it. He was dirty, had a wild grey beard, and his clothing was a little torn. He was also irrepressibly cheerful.

"Say," he said, waving his arms a little as he hopped closer, "could I have one of those tasty looking fishes?"

"Uh," Korra shrugged, tossing him one. "Sure."

"Much obliged! My name's Gommu! " He sat down smartly, and ate the fish with gusto.

Korra stared at him while he devoured the fish, smacking his lips and nodding his approval. "So…" She began, coughing a little. "Do you, uh…live in that bush?"

He nodded again. "Yes in-deedy! Took me quite a while to procure a bush of that beautiousness! This park is quite popular with all the vagabonds."

 _All the vagabonds?_  Korra blinked. A strange man deciding to live in a bush was one thing, but, a lot of people living in a park? This was Republic City! People were supposed to be living in houses the size of her compound. Instead, the people in this park…didn't have any homes at all. Korra lowered her fish, eyebrows furrowing. How could this be? "I thought…everyone here was living it up," she admitted.

Gommu laughed. "Young lady, you've got a lot to learn. Welcome to Republic City!"

Somehow, despite his cheer, the welcome still sounded sarcastic.

 _Is this a regular thing? People living without homes?_  Korra couldn't fathom it. How could they not have a place to live? She opened her mouth to ask, when a voice called across the way.

"Hey! You can't fish here!"

Korra whirled around; several official looking men were running toward her. Her vagabond friend jumped quickly back into his bush, calling back: "You'd best skedaddle!"

She didn't hesitate. Whistling for Naga, she hopped on, and they were off again. In none too long they'd lost their pursuers, and were in another part of the park. Several people were walking up and down the sidewalk. Scattered around were people standing on overturned buckets, or on top of boxes. Some had posters or banners strung behind them, and were speaking into megaphones; others still were just shouting as loudly as they could.

The nearest had a large banner in addition to a megaphone. The banner was emblazoned with the face of a masked man surrounded by bright bits of orange and yellow. The mask was white, and painted to almost look like a face, with a large red circle on his forehead.

The man with the megaphone was speaking into it, and a crowd had formed. "Are you tired of living under the tyranny of benders? Then join the equalists!"

Korra frowned.  _Tyranny of benders? What is he talking about?_  She nudged Naga forward as the man went on: "For too long the bending elite of this city have forced the non-benders to live as lower-class citizens! Join Amon, and together we will tear down the bending establishment!" He raised a fist for emphasis, and a few people in the crowd were muttering their agreement.

"What are you  _talking_  about?" Korra burst out, Naga walking a few steps closer. "Bending is the most amazing thing in the world!"

The crowd turned toward her, and the man glared. "Let me guess, you're a  _bender_ , aren't you?"

Korra crossed her arms. "Yes, I am."

The man stepped forward tauntingly. "Then I bet you'd just love to knock me down with some waterbending, huh?"

Korra scowled. "I'm seriously considering it."

The man turned to the crowd, gesturing dramatically with his free arm. "This is what's wrong with the city! Benders like this girl only use their powers to oppress us!"

The crowd turned toward her again, but this time their fists were raised as they seemed to close in on her, yelling, demanding for explanations or reparations for things she hadn't even done.

Korra drew back, both confused and irritated. "What?! I- I'm not oppressing anyone! You- you're just oppressing yourselves!" She dug her heels into Naga's side, and they walked away, the voices of the crowd, and the taunting man, following her.

It took several minutes for Korra to stop fuming. How  _dare_  that man- bending was amazing! She was the Avatar, their protector! However, as she glanced at the sky she noticed that the sun was a lot lower down than she remembered it being. As it was she would already be in trouble with her parents and Tenzin; if she didn't get back soon it would only get worse. So she led Naga over to the side of the road, trying to look around and figure out how to get back to Air Temple Island.

The street seemed to be mostly occupied by various shops or stalls. There were almost no cars there, and the street itself was small, almost like an alley rather than a street. There were two people speaking quietly to each other, an older woman and a middle-aged man. Korra slid down Naga's side and walked over to them, a little embarrassed. "Hi," she said, waving a little as the man and woman looked at her. "Sorry, but, I think I'm a little lost. I'm trying to get to Air Temple Island; do you think you could tell me which way to go?"

The woman nodded, and waved an airy hand down the street. "Just go down this way, and-"

At that moment, a long, shiny, red satomobile pulled onto the street, moving slowly. The front had a gold ornament of a lion turtle. The woman and the man shrunk back a little into the shop as three men stepped out of the satomobile.

"Best get going," the old woman said quickly. "Its not safe here."

Korra frowned, watching as the men walked toward a phonograph shop. The elderly man in front stood stock-still, frozen during his act of polishing one of the phonographs.

"Mr. Chung," the man at the front said lazily as he walked closer, "Please tell me that you have my money." He looked to be a waterbender, judging by his clothes. The other two were, by the same reasoning, a firebender and an earthbender.

Mr. Chung shank back as the waterbender went on, smiling slyly. "Or else, I can't guarantee protection of this fine establishment."

Mr. Chung gulped. "Business has been slow, I'm sorry! P-please, take one of my phonographs!" He offered up the one that he had been polishing, holding it out with trembling hands.

Without taking his hands out of his pockets, the firebender moved his led in an arc, sending it crashing through the phonograph, fire licking at its edges. Mr. Chung jumped backward, crying out as he fell on the ground, his arm half raised to protect himself.

The waterbender went on, gesturing lightly with one hand. "My friend here is not a music lover. Give me my money or else-"

Korra couldn't stand any more. "Or else  _what_ , hoodlum?" She stepped forward confidently, glaring at them. The three men whirled around, and Mr. Chung picked himself up, scooting away.

The three men looked at each other, and then at her again, and burst out laughing. The waterbender stepped forward again. "Since you're obviously fresh off the boat, let me explain a few things." He walked closer, narrowing his eyes, his voice taking on an edge. "This is Triple Threat Triad territory, and we're about to put you in the hospital." As he spoke, the men behind him also moved closer, chuckling to themselves.

Naga started growling, and Korra sent a calming gesture in her direction, smirking. "You'll be the ones needing a hospital," she said loudly to the men, who stopped in their stride, looking confused. "And for your sake," she added, punching her right fist into the palm of her hand, "I hope there's one nearby."

The waterbender glared at her. "Who do you think you are?"

Korra's grin widened. Her first chance to show just what kind of Avatar she could be! "Why don't you come and find out?"

Enraged, the waterbender charged forward, seeming to pull water from the pouch at his waist. The blast came toward her; Korra redirected it easily, sending it right into his face, and freezing it. The man wobbled around, eyes flicking, mouth open in shock as he stumbled, his head hitting the ornamental lion turtle on the front of his satomobile. The ice shattered, and the man slumped to the ground, out cold.

Korra turned to the other two men who were staring at her. The firebender scooted backward a little, but the earthbender leapt into the air, fist driving down as he prepared to move the earth. Korra was one step ahead of him; moving her hands upward, a column of dirt sprang up, catching the man in the gut and sending him flying.

The firebender didn't hesitate this time, sending a stream of fire her way. Korra jumped right into the flames, feeling her own fire in her palms, deflecting the oncoming wall of fire easily, coming out the other side and grabbing the man's wrists.

Before he could do more than yelp, she turned him around, building momentum. Grunting a little with the effort, Korra threw him through the window of the shop. He crashed through the glass and landed in front of the counter, completely still.

The satomobile roared behind her, and Korra whirled around, seeing the firebender at the wheel. The earthbender shot past her suddenly, propelled by his own pedestal of earth. He landed ungracefully in the satomobile, which rumbled down the street.

Korra gritted her teeth, sprinting after them. "Oh, no. You're not getting away!" Planting her feet and moving her hands upward again, the satomobile was flung into the air by the very earth beneath it. The satomobile tumbled over a few times before it crashed into another shop. The men inside crawled out of it, moaning.

Hands on her hips, Korra smirked. "I'm the Avatar, chumps."

A loud, echoing siren sounded, not unlike the one back at the encampment in the South Pole. Korra whirled around, half formed thoughts about the White Lotus in her head, only to see an airship above her, bearing a gold crest.

Wire shot out from the airship, and Korra relaxed, grinning. "Metalbenders! Awesome!" Naga padded over to her, watching the commotion, her tail wagging.

"This is the police! Freeze where you are!" A voice issued from some kind of intercom from the airship.

Men slid down the wires, dressed in the dark metal uniform that set them apart from other members of the police. They landed neatly on the ground, and took a moment to look at the scene.

Korra gestured around with one hand. "Hello Officers! I caught the bad guys for you!"

The man in front looked at her for a moment, and then pointed at the men sprawled on the ground. "Arrest them!"

Korra smirked, feelings of pride and warmth spreading through her chest. Her first real job as the Avatar! She'd caught the bad guys all by herself.

Three officers pulled the near-unconscious men into handcuffs, leading them away. The man turned to her as she started to walk away. "Hold on there, missy! You're under arrest too!"

Korra froze in her tracks. "What! Why? Those are the bad guys!" She pointed at the men being led into the back of a police satomobile. "They were smashing up a shop."

The officer in front of her was not moved. In fact, he glared. "By the looks of things you smashed up a lot more than that." Without another word, he bent his arm, shooting out a metal cable at her; her hand shot out to catch it out of reflex.

Korra jerked backward, pulling on the cable. "Wait! You can't arrest me! Just let me explain-"

"You can explain all you want back at the station," The man pulled the cable out of her hand and charged, this time throwing two cables at her. Korra ducked, rolling out of the way, and was on her feet again a second later, while Naga bumped the man from behind, sending him tumbling forward. In another few bounds she was at Korra's side. Korra leapt on her back, and they were off.

She could hear the other Metalbenders behind her, yelling, demanding that she stop. Her thoughts were fractured.  _Can't. Can't let them stop me, I'm the Avatar dammit, I can't be caught doing this- ruin everything-_

A metalbender was at her side for a moment; her foot shot out, catching him in the face and sending him into the wall.

More cables shot out, and Naga turned a corner as the cables crashed into a brick wall and they emerged out of the alley and onto another street. Satomobiles screeched to a stop as drivers and pedestrians screamed, and Naga kept running. Korra looked behind her, ducking as another cable flew over her head. The police were swinging from the cables around the city like they were vines, and the airship was on its way toward her too.

They were at a bridge now, and Korra leaned forward a little more, as if this would somehow make them go faster. More cables crashed into the pavement, the wood of the bridge snapping as they hit. Suddenly, something tugged sharply on her ponytail.

Gasping in pain, Korra felt the cable tug on her hair again and jerked her head forward as Naga ran the length of the bridge. Swinging her hands in a large swooping motion, the water in the river flowed up behind her, creating a wall of ice. She heard a loud thud a moment later as the man attached to the cable on her hair hit it. The pulling on her hair ceased and Korra shook her head a little to clear it.

They were still coming. There were far more of them than the White Lotus guards. They seemed to be coming from every side of her. Naga turned down onto another street, a satomobile swerving out of the way and up onto the sidewalk. The driver angrily yelled at them, but Korra hardly noticed. She heard the sound of the metalbenders sliding on top of their cables across buildings. Another bridge was coming up, and this one had a train under it.

Korra smirked, and jerked Naga's reins toward the train. Within moments she'd jumped off the bridge, and landed on the train, her paws almost slipping off before she found her balance.

Korra sighed in relief. She straightened, seeing Air Temple Island just across the bay.  _Naga and I can easily swim back!_

Another alarm sounded, and a shadow passed over her. Korra's head snapped up; more metalbenders were there, on top of buildings, and there was another airship too. She jerked Naga's reins forward as the train began to turn right.

Airborne, cables shot out at them, and wrapped around Naga. In the next instant, four were around Korra, binding her arms. Naga struggled for only a moment, but Korra fought every inch as they were carried across the city to the police station.

In front of the station was yet another statue. This one was of Toph Beifong; close friend of Avatar Aang, and the first earthbender to metalbend. The police building itself was one of the nicest in the city. It was brightly colored and had many pillars.

As she stared at the statue of Toph, Korra's shoulders slumped, and she let herself be led inside.

She was brought into a small, windowless room with a table and two chairs in the middle, sitting under a small light. Her hands were bound to the table. She only had to wait a few minutes before someone came in.

It wasn't the man she'd spoken to before. It was a woman, middle-aged, with dark hair in a sort of bob cut, and two scars on the right side of her face, hooking under her chin. She glared at Korra as she walked in, her entire being radiating disapproval and confidence.

She dropped a notebook on the table, the loud  _slap_  of the book hitting metal making Korra jump a little. "Let's see," the older woman began, "Multiple counts of destruction of private and city property." She walked a little farther into the room, her face shadowed. "Not to  _mention_  evading arrest." She bent over, her face right in front of Korra's. "You're in a whole mess of trouble young lady."

Korra's fists clenched, and she fought the urge to stand up and get in the other woman's face as well. "But there were some thugs threatening a helpless shopkeeper!" She really couldn't understand what the problem was. She was the Avatar, for crying out loud!

"Can it," the woman said dismissively. She walked to the other side of the table. "You should have called the police and stayed out of the way."

Korra leaned forward a little, slightly impeded by her binds. "But I couldn't just do nothing! Its my duty to help people." The woman raised her eyebrows, as if finally listening, and Korra smiled a little. "See…I'm the Avatar."

The woman snorted. "Oh, I'm very well aware of who you are. And your title might impress some people, but not me." She walked to the front of the table again, her arms crossed.

Korra scowled. "Okay, fine. Then let me talk to whoever's in charge."

The woman looked around. "You're talking to her." She sat down. "I am Chief Beifong."

 _Beifong?_  Her mind flashed to the statue out front. "But- you're Toph Beifong's daughter!"

"What of it?"

A little frustrated, Korra pressed on. "You shouldn't be treating me like- like a criminal! Your mother and Avatar Aang were friends! They saved the world together."  _Everyone knows this. I've known it for as long as I can remember._

Chief Beifong waved her hand. "That's ancient history. And its got diddly-squat to do with the mess you're in right now." She stood up again. "You can't just waltz in here and dole out vigilante justice like you own the place."

For a moment, Korra felt strange. For once, Avatar Aang's name hadn't gotten her out of trouble, or made the person in awe of her. It made her stomach twist, but it also felt almost _nice_.

There was a knock on the door. Beifong looked toward it. "What?"

"Chief, there's a Councilman Tenzin here to see you."

Beifong sighed. "Fine. Send him in."

Korra's stomach tightened again.  _I tried to prove what kind of Avatar I could be. What kind of Avatar I am. All I did was show how much I'm not like Aang._

The door opened a moment later, and Tenzin came in. He shot her a look, and Korra felt like sinking back into her seat, but instead looked back defiantly. Tenzin focued on Beifong next.

"Lin," he said, striding forward, "You're looking radiant as always."

"Cut the crap, Tenzin," Beifong said. "What do you want?"

He hesitated, and looked at Korra again, but this time his expression was different, almost…sad. "Lin, what have you heard about Korra coming here?"

Beifong narrowed her eyes, but answered anyway. "It was reported that the Avatar would be arriving here. I have not been given all the details as of yet."

"Lin, do you think we could…speak privately?"

She sighed again. "Tenzin, whatever you have to say, just-"

Tenzin cut across her. "Please, Lin."

She looked at him for a moment, and then nodded curtly. She glanced back at Korra. "I'll be right back. No funny business, got it?"

They left, closing the door firmly behind them.

"What kind of funny business could I get into in here, exactly?" Korra asked the empty room. She glanced down at her hands, clasping them together, waiting for Tenzin to come back.

(~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~)

"I'm not letting her off the hook for this, Tenzin. If she's going to be living here, she has to abide by the laws."

"I know, Lin, I know." Tenzin rubbed the back of his neck. Lin was always so curt with him, now. Always to the point, every word clipped. "But there is something you don't understand. The Council hasn't released the information to anyone yet. I expect you would hear about it soon, but Korra didn't know that what she was doing was wrong-"

Lin snorted. "I'm not going to let her off scott-free because her parents didn't teach her right from wrong-"

"No!" Tenzin cut across her, and she actually blinked in surprise. "Its not like that, Lin. Please, just listen to me for a moment."

At first it looked like she would argue more. Or maybe punch him. Then she took a deep breath. "Fine."

"Korra was practically raised in a prison compound. Her parents did everything they could, but the White Lotus have been corrupted, Lin. They kept her locked away from everything. People her age. Information. Contact with the outside world. She did not know anything about the laws here, because there was no way for her to know. She needs to learn those laws, but this was her first day here. And her parents were hardly able to be aware of the laws when they were locked up right beside her." With every sentence, Lin eyebrows rose. Tenzin paused for a moment, and then went on. "Korra can't be excused because she is the Avatar, I'm not asking for that. But please, let her off this time so that she can learn about the laws she's never had a chance to understand. In addition, I will cover the damages from her actions today."

For several seconds, there was silence. "Fine," Lin said again, turning her back on him, and heading for the door again. "But if she ends up here again-"

Tenzin nodded, and followed her inside the door where Korra was waiting.

(~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~)

"Tenzin, I-"

Tenzin lifted one hand, halting her words. They were waiting to pick up Naga from where she'd been taken after Korra was arrested. They were surrounded by various people with a variety of strange pets. "Korra, do you understand why I am angry with you?"

"Because I was arrested?" Korra sat down, twisting her hands together.

"No. That's not a pleasant thing to hear, but in this case Korra, you did not know any better. We are going to have to work on that in the coming months. Regardless, that is not why I am angry with you." He faced her, crossing his arms. "Do you realize how worried your parents have been?"

The question startled Korra. A vision of her parents crossed her mind; now, when they'd just gotten away from the White Lotus, to have her disappear. Her eyes widened. "I- I didn't think-"

"I can see that." Tenzin's voice was coated in disapproval. "I was worried too. Korra, you left behind the guards we wanted with you for protection. You vanished. Anything could have happened to you."

 _And then the world would be without its Avatar,_ Korra thought, bowing her head. "I- I'm sorry, Tenzin."

For a moment, he was silent. "Its your parents you really need to apologize to, Korra. They've been out of their minds with worry."

Guilt throbbed through her again. The only people who had loved her before she was the Avatar- the people that had tried to escape with her and make her laugh. Her parents. Mom and dad; she should never have done this to them. She nodded quickly, feeling tears prick her eyes. She blinked them back, looking up at Tenzin again, letting determination fill her. "I'll make it up to them. And I won't let something like this happen again. I promise."

Tenzin looked at her for a moment, and then nodded. "Very well. As I said before, you'll have to learn the laws here. In addition to airbending training, I will teach you a bit about the laws, so that you don't get yourself arrested again." The last sentence was laced with just a touch of dry humor, and Korra smiled a little.

"Excuse me, miss?" Korra looked up, seeing a very exasperated looking man holding onto a collar around Naga's neck. "Is this your polar bear dog?"

Korra nodded, and Naga licked the man's face, making his hair stick straight up, and slobber drip off his chin. Unable to help it, Korra giggled, and Naga ran over to her, nearly dragging the poor man with her. Thankfully he let go at the last second, and wearily turned around and walked away.

When they returned to Air Temple Island, Korra knew that she would have to work to make things up. Her parents did not lecture her (not for a while anyway, that came later) and instead hugged her tight. They held her between them, and Korra knew, in that moment, that things would get better.

As a result of her day in the City, Tenzin set up an official greeting of Republic City for Korra. She would meet with reporters and photographers, and give a statement about why she was there.

The cameras flashed in front of her eyes, nearly blinding her. Korra squinted into the crowd. "Hello?" she said into the microphone. Her own voice reverberated around the area. The people seemed to press closer, still snapping pictures. A few were cheering.

"I'm Korra," she went on, and she glanced to her left, feeling encouraged by her parents and Tenzin standing there to the side, ready if she needed help. "Your new Avatar."

The crowd went wild, and the clicking sound of pictures being taken still somehow reached her over it.

_They take pictures of the Avatar. Praise the Avatar. Love the Avatar._

Voices reached her too. "How long are you planning to stay in Republic City?"

"Were you trying to send a message to the Triads yesterday?" Another reporter came forward, trying to get her attention.

"Are you here to fight crime, the anti-bending revolution, or both?" Asked another.

"Will you be working with Chief Beifong and the police?"

Korra blinked at the crowd, trying to remember all their questions. "Uh. I'm here to stay, for a while. Not really sure, guess it depends, but honestly, I- I don't exactly have a plan, yet." She paused, and then added "See, I'm still in training, but…" Korra took a deep breath. Everything she had learned about Republic City hadn't all been true. She knew that it was supposed to be a haven. A peaceful place.

_Like Avatar Aang intended. If I can make his dream a reality, then maybe…_

"All I know is that Avatar Aang intended for this city to be the center of peace and balance in the world." She thought for a moment of the homeless man she had met, of the men who had picked on helpless people. "I believe we can make that dream a reality." She raised her arm, confidence flowing through her now. "I look forward to serving you!"

The crowd cheered again.  _The Avatar is here to serve them._

"I am so happy to be here! Thank you, Republic City!" She watched the crowd, her heart warming as their voices seemed to fill her entire body.

She could do this. She could be a great Avatar. An Avatar that the world deserved. Better than Avatar Aang.

(~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~)

Underground, somewhere in the city, men and women listened to the broadcast. Some were angry, others pensive, and others still frightened.

"-happy to be here! Thank you, Republic City!"

A man reached forward, turning the radio off. He wore a facemask and goggles, his goatee just showing through, weapons at his back like twin swords. He turned around, looking at the man sitting in the chair. "Amon, how do you want to handle this?"

Amon was silent for a moment, and then turned around, his masked face in shadow. "So, the Avatar has arrived early. That means we'll have to accelerate our plans."


	3. A Leaf in the Wind

"…And in the final round, the Buzzard Wasps won with a decisive knockout!" Korra set down the newspaper excitedly, grinning at her parents, who chuckled a little while they ate their breakfast. Korra was already finished, and Tenzin sat just a little farther down from them, sipping tea with a disapproving look on his face.

"Probending is amazing! I can't believe that we're so close to the area now." Korra looked at the photograph of last night's fight in the paper.

"That waterbender of theirs seems like he could use some pointers, though," Tonraq said thoughtfully, sharing a look with Korra. Senna chuckled, rolling her eyes a little.

"Dad, mom! We should go to a match tonight!" Korra practically jumped out of her seat with excitement. Before her parents could answer, she added, "What do you say, Tenzin, want to come with us?"

Tenzin snorted. "Probending is a perversion of the noble tradition of bending."

Korra was disappointed for a moment, but went on. "Well, your loss! So, mom dad, do you want to-"

"Korra," Tenzin cut across her, his palm lightly slapping the table. She blinked. "As your airbending teacher, I do not want you to attend those matches. You are here to learn airbending, that probending will not only serve as a distraction, but will also impede any teaching I do."

"What?" Korra gasped, actually standing up this time. She scowled. "You can't tell me to not go, that's up to my parents!" She turned to them confidently.

Tonraq frowned. "Tenzin…we are very grateful for everything you have done, but Korra  _is_  our daughter."

Tenzin seemed to cool down a little. "My apologies." He nodded slightly toward them. "I don't mean to try and take control. However, Korra  _is_  here to learn airbending. I truly believe that watching probending matches would only be a distraction, and would undermine the teachings I will be showing her."

Senna and Tonraq glanced at each other, and then at Korra. "Sweetheart," Senna began, "Maybe while you are training, it would be better if we didn't go to probending matches. At least until you start to learn the technique Tenzin will be teaching you. Maybe in a few months-"

"But mom!" Korra gaped at them. Her parents had said that they wanted to her to live, and now they were saying that she couldn't fulfill a dream and watch a probending match? "Ugh! I can't  _believe_  this!"

"Korra," Tonraq stood and approached her. "We're not trying to keep you here. You can still go to the city, and there are plenty of things to do there. This isn't forever. We are going to be in Republic City for a long time. Even if you can't see probending now, that doesn't mean you can't ever see it." He glanced at Tenzin, who nodded reluctantly. "Just, for now, let's settle in a bit, and get your training going first, all right?" He put a hand on her shoulder.

Korra sighed, blowing a bit of hair out of her face, crossing her arms. "Yeah," she muttered. "I guess."

"Sweetheart, we can still do something this weekend together. I've heard that there's a movie theater here. You've never seen a movie before." Senna offered a smile, and Korra felt her posture relax. So she couldn't see probending this weekend. So what? She could be patient. She  _could_.

"That would be great, mom." Korra tried to smile back, but it felt like the muscles in her face weren't working properly.

"With that out of the way," Tenzin stood, gesturing toward the doorway. "Shall we begin the first day of training?"

At this, Korra felt herself brighten. Maybe she couldn't watch probending, but she could train with Tenzin, and it would all lead to her being the best Avatar the world had ever seen! "Yes! Let's go!" She quickly kissed her dad on the cheek, and ran around the table to do the same her to her mom. "See you guys later!" She sprinted out the door, Tenzin following at his own careful pace behind her.

After changing into the air nomad robes (Tenzin was a traditionalist if nothing else), Korra found herself outside, at a part of the compound she hadn't seen much of yet. As they walked along the pathway, a few ring-tailed flying lemurs jumped past her, scaling the wall with ease, fruit held tightly in their mouths. Korra watched them climb in fascination, unveiling their wings to soar across the island. Her eyes followed them until they were specs in the distance.

"So," Tenzin said, sounding a little unsure, "My mother informed me that you have not yet been able to airbend?"

Korra shoulders slumped a little. "Yeah. No matter how hard I try, nothing happens. The other elements all came so easily to me."

"That's quite all right," Tenzin put a hand on her shoulder, and Korra looked up at him in slight surprise. "Often the element that the Avatar has the most trouble with is the one most opposite to their personality. For my father it was Earthbending. Besides, you've never had a proper teacher in airbending. The only time my father used the other elements before being taught was when he was in the Avatar State."

 _The Avatar State._ Korra had seen a few illustrations in books, mostly showing a glowing figure controlling all the elements at once. Katara had told her it was a defense mechanism that let the Avatar use the power from all of his or her past lives. It was the most powerful form the Avatar could achieve. Katara had said that Avatar Aang hadn't really been himself whenever he was in the Avatar State, and that seeing him that way had always scared her. Still, she hadn't been able to deny what the White Lotus told her either: that without the Avatar State, Aang never would have won the war, or any of the conflicts afterward.

Of course, part of entering the Avatar State was being able to contact the spirit world, and Korra hadn't been able to do that either.  _Avatar Aang could do it when he was twelve. He could airbend, enter the spirit world, and learned all the elements in less than a year. What's my excuse?_

"Korra?"

She blinked, and looked over at Tenzin again. He was watching her, his eyebrows furrowed slightly. "Korra," he began, "I don't want you to think this was all easy for my father. He had to face a lot of hardship to get to where he was."

She looked at the ground. "I know." She knew that. Avatar Aang had struggled. Had fought and learned all the elements and helped the spirits, all when he was twelve years old. Korra was seventeen. Aang had done all of that, and so far she had done nothing. Her fists clenched.  _That is going to change. I am going to learn airbending, and be the greatest Avatar the world has ever known!_

"Anyway," she went on, as they began climbing some stairs, "I'm about as opposite from an Airbender as you can get."

Tenzin smiled. "Well, that's why I'm here. Let's begin your first lesson." As if on cue they came to the top of the stairs. Korra gasped, and stopped in her tracks.

Before her was concrete ground, just like in many places. On the side, tall, thin trees grew, stopped from overflowing by rocks. However, midway across the expanse was a circle, on a little pedestal just a bit above the rest of the ground. On the pedestal were several wooden panels, taller than her by several feet, and about as wide as her arms if she stretched them out. They were suspended a little above the pedestal by little wooden stakes. As she watched, the panels twitched in the breeze, rotating just a little. Each panel was also painted with the Airbender insignia, the light blue surrounded by pale brown.

Jinora, Ikki, and Meelo were all standing off to the side. Ikki was jumping up and down excitedly. "Korra's gonna airbend!" she shouted over and over. Jinora watched them calmly while Meelo stared up at the sky, seeming to be watching the birds.

"What is that contraption?" Korra asked, jogging a little after Tenzin.

He smiled. "Its a time-honored tool that teaches the most fundamental aspect of airbending." He turned to his oldest daughter. "Jinora, would you like to explain this exercise?" He gestured at the wooden machine.

Jinora nodded solemnly. She walked up to the panels and lightly touched the closest surface. "The goal is to weave your way through the gates and make it to the other side without touching them."

Korra raised her eyebrows. "Sounds simple enough."

Ikki jumped between them excitedly. "Jinora forgot to mention that you have to make it through while the gates are spinning!"

Without another word, Tenzin stepped closer to the gates, and twisted his hands in front of himself, pushing them – and the very air – forward. The gates began to spin, almost faster than Korra's eyes could really track. Tenzin pulled a leaf out of his pockets, and let it float forward toward the gates. As she watched, the leaf moved between the gates with ease.

"The key is to be like the leaf," Tenzin said. "You must flow with the movement of the gates." He turned again to his oldest daughter. "Jinora will demonstrate."

Jinora nodded once, smiled a little, and ran forward. Korra held her breath as Jinora leapt into the spinning gates, and didn't hit a single one. She spun, seemingly at the last minute, avoiding one gate after another.

"Airbending is all about spiral movements," Tenzin went on, watching Jinora with unmistakable pride. "When you meet resistance, you must be able to change direction at a moment's notice."

Jinora emerged out the other side, the gates starting to slow down. She blew a gust of air at them, making them spin rapidly again.

Korra stood straighter, and punched her fist into her palm. "Let's do this!" Without another word, she charged forward-

-and ran into the first panel. She bounced off of it, smacked into another one, and stumbled inside. Before she had time to register more than the swirling gates, she crashed into another, and another, no matter where she turned or how she tried to run she just kept hitting them, and all of a sudden she was flung forward by another gate though the end. She tumbled in the air and rolled on the ground.

For a moment she was dizzy; the sky and the sun seemed to swim before her. Then she growled, and jumped to her feet, ignoring the way her shoulders and head stung. Korra charged at the gate again. Vaguely, she could hear Jinora, Ikki, Meelo, and Tenzin all shouting instructions to her, but the details of it were lost as she slammed into yet another plank.

It was over in a matter of seconds. Disoriented, Korra had the faint impression that she had been sent flying out of the gates again, before her world went black.

When she came to (surrounded by both Tenzin, Pema, their children, her parents, and several Air Acolytes) the frustration settled in. Ultimately, she left with nothing more than a bruised head, but even thinking about the gates made her fists clench.

Later, Korra sat on her bed, back against the wall, her knees drawn up to her chest. The faint buzz of the radio next to her provided little distraction from her thoughts.

 _Why can't I get this right?!_  She made a low noise in her throat.  _What am I doing wrong?!_

With a huff, she stood up, and twirled her wrists like she'd seen Tenzin and Jinora do. She aimed at the newspaper from earlier, sitting on her windowsill. "Airbend!" She called, as if voicing it would suddenly bring the ability to her. With a growl she punched the air more aggressively. "Airbend!" She punched the air two more times, each more violently. With a roar, she leapt forward, fire growing in her palm, lighting the newspaper.

Korra watched it burn. The flames licked at the edges of the paper, and even from a few steps away she could feel the heat on her body. As she stared at it, watching words eaten by the flames, with everything from ads from some Future Tech company, to a headline about Lin Beifong, her shoulders slumped. She carefully smoothed out the flames with her fingers, and flicked the ashy remains of the paper out the window. The flakes fell to the ground, out of sight.

Again, she felt the tightness in her stomach return.  _What if I can't do this? What if I can never learn to airbend?_  If she never learned to airbend, no one would remember her. She would be a failure.

Lightly, she wacked herself on the head. "Stop it," she muttered. "I can do this. I'll be the best Avatar there ever was."

She practiced late into the night. Every so often her frustrations would cause her to firebend again, but with little to burn she sometimes settled for kicking the walls.

She didn't airbend once. She fell asleep only when she was too tired to move anymore.

The next day wasn't any better. Or the one after that. Or, the one after that. After four days of unsuccessful training, meditation, and too many arguments with Tenzin to count, Korra felt her fears creeping in again. She tried not to think about it too much, but even Tenzin seemed to have little faith, or patience, with her.

Meelo was only  _five_  and he could airbend; Korra was the Avatar, and she couldn't. Avatar Aang had probably been born airbending.

Her parents were supportive, but they didn't really know how to help her. Korra knew that they loved her, but they couldn't understand how important this was. The entire world was waiting for her to be a true Avatar, to be just as great as Avatar Aang, and fix everything. She couldn't let them down. She couldn't be a failure.

The best comfort was found with the radio. Every night they broadcasted Probending matches, and every night Korra sat eagerly nearby, hanging on every word. The audience favorites were the underdogs, the Fire Ferrets. They were newcomers, and were surprising everyone with how quickly they were rising in ranks. Mako was the team captain, the firebender on the team. He usually handled the one on one tie-breakers, and had a history of hat tricks. Bolin was the earthbender, and Mako's younger brother. He was known for taking out his enemies with a single, strong, shot, and for playing up the crowd a little. Hasook was the waterbender, and though he wasn't a bad player, more often than not he ended up knocked out of the arena. Every word the announcer spoke could send Korra to the edge of her seat, or clutching at her hair in despair. In no time at all, she too found herself a fan of the Fire Ferrets. Every night she went to sleep with impatience, and not just for her airbending. She wanted to see a probending match, to cheer with the crowd and see new types of bending. She wanted to watch Mako pull a hat-trick, or Bolin knock an enemy clear off the arena. She wanted to see it all.

On the fifth night, after yet another day of meditation where the minutes crawled by like hours and the gates beat her up and spit her out, Korra decided that she would see it, Tenzin's preferences be damned.

Maybe if she spent the night out and cleared her head, she would be able to airbend tomorrow. Or maybe if she saw new types of bending, she would learn how to improve her technique. And Tenzin would never have to know.

But, she did want some people to know.

She walked quietly down the hallway, telling herself that there was no reason anyone would be suspicious of her visiting her own parents. She hesitated carefully outside the door, listening, making sure she wasn't, well,  _interrupting_  anything (considering the hut they'd lived in before, it had happened more than once, and Korra was not keen on it happening again). They were talking quietly, seriously, and she faintly heard her name mentioned. Fighting the urge to eavesdrop, she took a deep breath and slid open the door.

"I'm sneaking out."

Tonraq eyed her as she stood in the doorway. "You seem to be forgetting the 'sneaking' part."

"I didn't want to worry you again," Korra said, arms crossed, her eyes on the floor.

Senna glanced at her husband, but then smiled. "We'll hold down the fort." She paused. "Sweetheart, we shouldn't have defaulted to Tenzin on this. We were just talking about it, actually. Tenzin is a good man, and we know he means well, but we still should have stood our ground. We just…we're so grateful to him, that-"

"We wanted to repay him, in any way we could," Tonraq added. "It didn't seem like such a bad thing to wait, but…" He ran a hand over his head. "You're frustrated, and I think you could use a break." He smiled, raising his eyebrows. "And you're letting us know you're running off this time, too."

Korra laughed a little, relief washing through her.

Senna smiled, and then hesitated. "But, Korra, we don't want Tenzin to worry either. Try not to be gone too long. If he asks us where you are-"

Korra nodded. "I get it. He can't have the Avatar disappear." She grinned. "Don't worry. I'll be back faster than you can say 'platypus bear', I promise." She leaned forward and hugged them quickly. "I'll tell you everything about the match when I get back!"

"Be careful," Senna said, stroking her hair gently.

"No running from the police this time, alright?" Tonraq teased. He added in a more serious tone, "Kor, just be safe. Defend yourself if you have to, I don't care what the law says. Keep yourself safe. Come back to us."

Korra stepped back. "You're not going to insist I take a White Lotus guard?"

Tonraq shook his head. "They'd never let you go, not that they could stop you," he added. "In some ways I think its safer if you go without them. You're less recognizable that way."

Senna nodded, and even though she was smiling, Korra saw that her forehead was wrinkled, eyebrows furrowed in worry. "Its true," she said. "But like we said, please, sweetheart, be careful."

Korra nodded, and stepped around them. "I will be!" She called, walking across their room, crawling carefully out their window and into the night.

She looked back and saw her parents silhouetted in the light from the window, watching her. Warmth washed over Korra's chest. They were letting her do this. She fought the desire to jump up and down, and ran quietly, but swiftly, across the yard. She stopped as she reached the edge of a building, peering carefully around it.

She could see the cabin where the White Lotus guards slept. The ones on duty were gathered around a small radio inside, whooping and laughing. She could faintly hear the voice of a very familiar announcer. Korra grinned.  _Looks like I'm not the only fan of probending,_ she thought. Taking a slight breath, she shot across the way, darting behind trees where she could. The White Lotus never looked her way, and before long she was standing at the bay. Excitement vibrated through her body, and she dived into the water, bending it around her as she fell so that there was no splash.

The cool water fit around her like a second skin, and Korra moved through it just as easily. All of the elements felt this way to her- all except airbending. Even underwater, she scowled, and moved her thoughts away from that. Tonight was about probending, and having fun.

The journey across the bay was quick; her arms didn't even get tired. She popped her head up above the slight waves, staring at the huge arena. It had a domed roof, and was lit up with more lights than she could count. She could see a crowd outside the front gates of the arena, holding signs and cheering, seeming to be straining to hear anything from inside. Korra frowned. She wasn't getting in that way. Her eyes scanned the side of the building, and she grinned as she spotted a second story window with light shining through it.

She twisted her wrists, almost like she was tightening the cord on reigns, and moved herself upward with waterbending. Flowing with the stream of water, she pushed herself through the window. The water splashed a little against the floor as she rolled inside, dripping. With a slight spin, she quickly bent all the water out of her clothes and hair (a neat trick both her father and Katara had taught her early on).

She'd landed in a hallway. Taking a guess, she turned around and walked farther down the hall, peeking around doorways occasionally. Eventually she came across a huge room full of mats, weights, nets, and other equipment she couldn't name.  _This must be the gym,_ she thought as she walked forward, trying to take everything in. The room really was huge, with plenty of room for the probending players to practice.

"Hey." Korra jumped, and whirled around. An old man was walking from the right side of the gym. He was slightly hunched and had a potbelly, but was still muscular, with white hair pulled back into a short ponytail, and sideburns. He looked like he had a permanent frown on his face. "What are you doin' in my gym?"

 _Whoops!_ "Um," Korra plastered on her most innocent smile. "I was just, uh, looking for the bathroom."

The man rolled his eyes, grunting a little as he set a heavy weight on the ground. "Ah, the old 'I had to pee' excuse." He stepped forward, scowling, actually waving a finger at her, his voice rising a little. "You know, I'm sick and tired of you kids sneakin' in here without paying! I'm taking you to security!"

Korra's mouth dropped open, but before she could respond, another voice called out behind her. "Oh,  _there_  you are! I've been looking all over for you!"

Korra blinked, and looked around. A boy around her age jogged toward her, grinning. He had thick black hair smoothed back over his head, one curl popping over his forehead, thick eyebrows, and deep green eyes. He was muscular and somewhat stocky, only a few inches taller than her, and was wearing a red and white probending uniform. His smile was easy, and despite herself she felt a smile creeping up on her face as well. She'd never really seen any boys around her age. A few of the White Lotus Guards were somewhat close to her in age, and she'd even had crushes on a few of them, but still, standing next to a cute boy close to her age gave her a thrill.

"Its alright Toza," The boy said, still grinning. "She's with me."

The old man – Toza – didn't look particularly convinced.

Korra quickly played along. "Yep, I'm with him!"

"So you see, we're together," The boy went on, and Korra frowned a little.

"Well, not  _together_ , together. More like friends," Korra jumped in. Cute or not, she didn't know this guy.

The boy looked embarrassed, and glanced at her. "Oh, right, friends. I didn't mean to imply-" He lifted his hands slightly in a gesture of peace.

"Oh, you implied it," Korra muttered under her breath. Again, she almost found herself smiling. She didn't even know him yet, but already she liked messing with him.

Toza grunted, and she looked back over at him. "Ah, I don't care what you are,  
he grumbled. "I got work to do." With that he turned around, and using earthbending, moved a few stone weights into the air.

"Right this way, miss." The boy was grinning again, and this time Korra did join in, chuckling a little.

"Why thank you sir." She followed after him out the doorway and back into the hall.

"I've got the best seats in the house," he said as he walked, looking back at her. "Unless you really were looking for the bathroom," he added.

Korra laughed. "Nope, you got it right. I'm looking for some great probender action!" She pumped her fist.

His smile grew. "Great!" They turned a corner, and he opened a small door.

Korra gasped. The inside of the arena was even bigger than it looked from the outside. They looked to be in a sort of open locker room, or probending lounge. There was a railing ahead of her, and the outcropping they were on was both above and a little forward of the crowd. From the sounds of stomping feet above her, there were even more seats above the ceiling where she couldn't see. She couldn't even get a clear look at the rest of the crowd; all the people seemed like splotches for the most part, with occasionally flashes from a newspaper photographer. Even though the match hadn't started yet, the crowd was still cheering, and Korra walked in almost reverently, trying to see everything at once.

"What did I tell you?" The boy said from behind her. "Best seats in the house."

"This is unbelievable," Korra breathed, walking over to the railing and leaning a little over it. "Its even more amazing than I imagined!"

The boy looked pleased. "The name's Bolin, by the way."

She turned to him, practically bouncing on her toes. "I'm Korra!"

Bolin gave her his easy, friendly smile again.

All of a sudden, his name registered with her. "Wait- Bolin?" She gasped excitedly. "You're the earthbender for the Fire Ferrets!" She tried to imitate the announcer, "One of the fabulous bending brothers!"

His eyes widened, and he looked both prideful and shy. "You've heard of me?"

"Hell yeah! The other night, when you knocked out the other earthbender on the Buzzard Wasps team? That sounded amazing!"

His grin hitched up a few notches. "Well," He shrugged, taking on a slightly self-involved tone, "What can I say? I've got some moves."

She laughed. "I'd say you do."

"Bolin." Korra looked at the doorway, surprised. Another boy around her age stood there, wearing the same color uniform. She had to admit, he was rather handsome. He was taller than Bolin by several inches, and had dark brown hair rather than black. He had amber eyes, and was leaner in build, though still muscular. He was frowning, and when he looked at her, his frown deepened. He jerked his head toward the lockers along the back wall, and Bolin nodded. Bolin turned toward her and gestured to wait a moment.

Korra turned back to look at the crowd, peering more closely at the actual probending court below. It was split down the middle, and had three half circles painted in different colors on both sides. The zones, Korra remembered from all her nights of listening to the radio. The court itself was on a raised platform surrounded by water. When a probending member was knocked off the court, he fell into the water, and was officially out of the round.

Bolin was still talking quietly to the other guy, who, now that Korra was looking again, kept glaring at her. She glared back.  _Asshole. I haven't done anything wrong._  It looked like Bolin was trying to win him over about something. She caught the word "special", but that was it. Finally, Bolin turned to her again, and he was smiling once more.

"Korra," he called. "Come meet my brother, Mako."

"Mako?" Korra walked over, excited again. "Oh, I've heard of you too! You're mister hat-trick!"

Mako looked at her flatly. Then he looked at his brother. "Come on Bolin, we're up."

Korra raised an eyebrow, trying not to show the hurt that flashed through her. "…or I guess I can meet him later."

Bolin winced a little, but spoke lightheartedly. "Yeah, sorry about that. My brother can get really… _focused_ …before a match." He grabbed a helmet off of the nearby table, and slid it on his head. It looked like a slightly tight fit, but none of the uniforms were meant to be flattering anyway. "Okay, I gotta go. Wish me luck! Not that I'll need it," he added hastily.

Korra grinned again. "Good luck!" She punched her fist in the air. "Knock 'em out, hard-hitter!"

He gave her a slight salute, still smiling, and jogged after his brother. There was a moving platform that Mako and the waterbender – Hasook, Korra remembered – were already standing on. Bolin hopped on quickly. Mako seemed to start saying something to him, and Bolin waved an airy hand. As she watched, Bolin turned around again and waved at her.

Korra laughed, and walked up to the railing, watching as they approached the court. A hush seemed to go over the crowd as the two teams gathered on opposite sides of it.

"Introducing the fantastic Fire Ferrets!" The announcer's voice echoed through the crowd and reverberated in her ears. "I'm Shiro Shinobi, and welcome to tonight's Probending match!"

The crowd roared in response, and Korra cupped her hands around her mouth, shouting along with them. Her heart seemed to pound with every cheer. Her hands gripped the railing tighter, and her jaw was starting to hurt from smiling. She heard a few shrieks from the crowd of girls declaring their love of certain players, and then the referee struck the bell.

"And, they're off!" Shinobi shouted and Korra leaned over the railing, trying to get an even closer look at the action. If only she could be everywhere at once!

Below, Bolin quickly ducked a fireblast from the other team, kicking up one of his earthbending disks at the same time, but said firebender destroyed the disk with more fire. Mako sent his own fire toward the opposing earthbender, only for him to dodge it as well. Hasook blocked a blast with water gathered up from beneath his feet, but was scooted back several inches by the force of it.

"-first to feel the heat of the Tigerdillos! And there goes Mako, showing off his trademark, 'cool under fire' style-" Shinobi was describing every second of the match, and Korra tried to concentrate both on his words and what she was seeing. There was just so much to take in!

Hasook fired a blast of water at the Tigerdillos' earthbender, but the boy nimbly cart wheeled out of the way. Bolin sent two more earth disks arcing toward the firebender; the first missed, but the second clipped him in the shoulder and he staggered back. Korra whooped, jumping up and down. "Go Bolin! Go Fire Ferrets!"

Mako easily dodged both a shot of fire and an earthbending disk from the other team, shooting his own fire back in return. Without wasting a breath he crouched to the ground to avoid more earthbending disks, and shot forward with two more blasts of fire. The waterbender stumbled backward, but managed to catch himself on the railing before he crossed the zone line.

In the next second, the Tigerdillos sent a blast of water and fire directly at Hasook and Bolin; Hasook was sent scooting back into the second zone, and Bolin followed a moment later, stumbling after a fireblast.

"Gah! No!" Korra clutched at her hair. "Come on, Ferrets! Don't let 'em push you back!" She knew that they probably couldn't hear her, but still she had a feeling she may shout herself hoarse as a result of the match.

At the same time, Mako leapt forward, spinning in the air and dodging both a water and fire blast, but the moment his feet touched the ground, an earth disk slammed into his chest, sending him scooting backward. His foot stumbled back over the line, and a horn sounded. The referee made a motion in the air, and Shinobi shouted "Oh, the Tigerdillos move into Fire Ferret territory as all the team members are forced back into zone two!"

"No, no, no! Come on, Ferrets!" Korra called as the crowd either cheered in delight or moaned in despair.

The match seemed to go by in seconds. Korra gasped, cheered, and practically leaned over the railing watching them. Hasook was knocked out of the arena, and had to wait for the next round to re-enter the game. Bolin managed to push the waterbender back into zone three, and Mako, showing movement that seemed to imply his ancestors could have been birds, was able to dodge many attacks from the Tigerdillos. However, both Mako and Bolin were eventually pushed back into zone three as well, and the first round went to the Tigerdillos.

Korra clutched at the railing, her heart pounding. She felt as if she'd just run across the city. Every inch of her seemed to be buzzing with anticipation, fear, and excitement. "You can do it, Fire Ferrets!" She called again, pumping her fist in the air.

Mako seemed to be yelling at Hasook, and Bolin was between them, his hands up in a calming gesture. The Fire Ferrets rearranged themselves and took their places again at the head of the zones. The Tigerdillos faced them, seeming almost cocky.

Round two went better for them. Bolin knocked the earthbender straight off the arena, while Mako and Hasook knocked the water and firebender respectively back into zone three. It all seemed to be over in a matter of seconds; the Fire Ferrets had pulled ahead to a tie, and there was only one more round to go.

(~-~-~-~-~-~-~)

Bolin drummed his fingers on the table, Pabu curled contentedly around his ankle. Mako was cooking dinner, and despite his earlier arguments with Hasook, was in a good enough mood to be bobbing his head to the music on the radio.

Bolin stared out into space. The match had been great! Mako had led them to a victory in the end, but he couldn't stop thinking about Korra. He'd only known her for one night and he knew that she was different from the excited fangirls that always ran up to them after matches, looking for Mako's autograph. They hung on every word, giggled, and no matter how pretty or funny or nice they were, they never, well, they never picked him up, that was for sure. But Korra had.

When the match was over he'd strutted toward her, and the next moment had been a blur as Korra picked him up –  _picked him up_  –and all of a sudden he wasn't sure what was going on. Korra was saying something, shouting, even, but he didn't hear a word of it because her face was right in front of his and did she seriously just pick him up?  _Spirits_ , she was pretty, and her eyes were so  _blue_ -

Bolin shook his head, trying to snap out of it. He thought about it over and over in his head, thinking about her blue, blue, eyes and how strong she was, and how she looked when she smiled. She'd been really willing to learn too! She'd even asked him to show her some probending moves, and she listened to everything he said, and improved right away. She definitely had a natural knack for bending. Her original stance was very traditional, and while it was good, in Probending Bolin had learned that it was better to be light on your feet.

He wanted to know everything about her. When she'd finally had to leave she had seemed almost sad – he was sad to see her go, too – but hadn't said much about her home or parents, just that they lived on Air Temple island. She'd also promised to be at their next match, and Bolin had immediately cleared her presence with Toza and the guards. Mako hadn't been pleased, and Bolin's stomach squirmed a little at that. Once he got to know Korra though, he was sure that Mako would warm up to her. Still, Mako hadn't forbidden her from coming, so Bolin thought that was a good sign.

But why had she moved from the South Pole in the first place? Did she have any siblings or pets? Oh, he could show her Pabu at the next match; Bolin knew they would get along great.

As if hearing his thoughts, Pabu looked up, giving a few chattering sounds, poking his nose against his calf. Bolin grinned, mussing Pabu's head a litte.

"Food's almost done, Bo," Mako called, still bobbing his head to the music. Bolin grinned at the sight (Mako would never admit it, but he was a good dancer, though he didn't like the crazy dips and twists that Bolin loved.)

Did Korra like Water Tribe noodles? He figured that she must, but then again he didn't like a lot of traditional Earthbender foods so he'd have to ask.

Bolin glanced out the window, toward Air Temple island. He wondered what Korra was doing right now. Was she sleeping, or practicing the moves he'd shown her? Maybe she was eating dinner with her family…

For a moment, a half-forgotten thought from long ago filled his head, of Mako and himself at a high table, while a woman with eyes like his cooked dinner, laughing, while another man tried to get her to take a break and dance with him-

Bolin shook his head again. Memories hit him at strange moments; sometimes it was the scent of certain flowers, or the smell of dumplings, or even when he looked at his own face and eyes in the mirror. He didn't remember his parents as vividly as Mako, who sometimes at night would bring up his own memories. When it was late, after they'd had a good match or one of them had woken the other from a dream, sometimes Mako would look at the ceiling and say: "Bo, do you remember when…?"

Sometimes just Mako's words would bring the memory forth, but other times Bolin didn't remember anything. Mako could draw, too, and sometimes Bolin saw him sketching mom and dad's faces, but even then there was something almost vague about them. It would take a moment for Bolin to recognize them, and the moment he looked away the image would fade again.

More vividly he would remember nights of empty bellies and dirty, narrow ally ways, crawling beneath the things people threw away in order to stay warm or dry. He remembered Mako standing in front of him when fights broke out with the others, as they often did, protecting him.

Pabu crawled up in his lap as Mako slid the bowl of noodles on the table for Bolin. He grinned at his brother, who smiled back, and began to eat.

Bolin hoped he'd be able to start seeing Korra outside of Probending matches, but since she'd told them she was the Avatar, he supposed she might be pretty busy.

Still, he glanced out the window again, and he hoped.


	4. Not-So Bitter Work

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title is a reference to the original Avatar series episode "Bitter Work". 
> 
> The dance in this chapter is called 'The Charleston', and it is a very simple dance from the 1920s. The song is 'Blue Skies', which was also written in the 1920s, by Irving Berlin. There's a lot of good Borra-ness in this chapter, so enjoy.

* * *

Needless to say, Tenzin wasn't pleased when he found out about Korra going to the Probending match. However, her parents had none of his complaints. She was given permission to go to the next match, and her parents and Pema dragged Tenzin with them. However, to all of their shock, Hasook was a no-show at the match, and in desperation, Korra replaced him as the waterbender for the team. Bolin was thrilled about the idea, Mako decidedly less so.

It had been a rough start, but in the environment of the Probending arena, Korra was finally able to move like an airbender to avoid attacks from the other team. It was her actions that led them to a victory, and as she stood there, listening to the crowd roar her name, she had felt her heart pound with every cheer. Someday, they wouldn't just be cheering for her probending skills. Someday, they would be cheering for her as the Avatar.

Mako; whom Korra had been privately calling Captain Asshole –admitted to her skills and apologized for his behavior toward her. Bolin had embraced her in excitement, and she had been offered a permanent position on the Fire Ferrets team.

Tenzin softened toward probending after that, and along with her parents, started to regularly come to matches. Much to Korra's surprise, he was starting to become quite a probending fan, and at dinner would sometimes get into excited discussions with her and her parents over certain events in matches.

Mako treated her less coldly than before, although getting a compliment from him was often like pulling teeth. It was the most frustrating part about him! Why couldn't he just admit that she was doing well? The most she'd ever gotten out of him was a "not bad" or a general "good practice". She deserved more praise than  _that_!

After practice Bolin would usually invite her out to eat with them, often getting cheap food from vendors, or else inviting her up to their little apartment above the probending arena.

More often than not, Mako wouldn't attend these get-togethers, mostly going off by himself instead. When he did eat with them, there wasn't the same easy give and take that she felt with Bolin. She never knew where to stand with Mako, and both in and outside of practice they often got into arguments. Still, she was getting to know him better, and only rarely thought of him as Captain Asshole anymore.

Bolin was fun, in pretty much every way she could imagine. He was funny, and full of energy, not to mention the sweetest guy she had ever met (not that Korra had met very many men, but still). He always seemed to slide up next to her and ask her questions, or make her a part of the conversation. He had a pet fire ferret named Pabu, who Korra immediately liked. Pabu was roughly as long as her arm, covered in orange, red, and white fur, and was extremely friendly. He was also the inspiration for their team name. Unlike with Mako, she always knew where she stood with Bolin, and the days she ate lunch with him after practice were always full of laughter.

It wasn't too long before Korra realized that this was what it was like to have  _friends_ , and that, aside from Naga, she'd never had any before. This realization spurred her to action.

It was her fifth week as a member of the Fire Ferrets team. There was going to be a match next week, and there had been double practices in order to prepare for it. With practice on top of airbending training, Korra was feeling a little tired, but still determined.

"So," she coughed. Mako was putting away his gear, and Bolin, still in his practice uniform, was turning the knob on the radio. He turned toward her, smiling as usual, Pabu curled around his shoulders.

"Uh…are you guys, um, busy, this weekend?"

This time Mako looked over, his eyebrows furrowed. Bolin blinked, but then his grin grew wider. "Why, whatever did you have in mind for this weekend?" He drawled.

His attitude helped Korra relax a little. She'd never done this before, and even though she knew it was simple, there was still something stupidly nerve-wracking about it. But she drew her shoulders back, and went on confidently. "If you guys aren't busy, I was wondering if you would like to come to Air Temple Island for dinner with my parents, and Tenzin and his family. And me, obviously."

"That sounds great!" Bolin stood up excitedly, jostling Pabu a little as he moved. The fire ferret chattered for a moment, and then secured himself on Bolin's shoulders again. Bolin walked over to her, grinning from ear to ear. His enthusiasm brought a smile to her lips as well, and she felt her nervousness abate for a moment, only to return as she realized that Mako hadn't answered yet. No matter what, when it came to the brothers, Bolin always defaulted to Mako.

He was looking at his helmet, seemingly lost in thought. "I'd been thinking about having practice this weekend," he began, "but I guess that'd be alright."

"Awesome!" Bolin whooped, punching the air. He turned to her, grinning, like after they won a match. "When should we be over? What will we be having? Will Pabu be allowed at the table? Wh-"

Korra laughed, cutting him off, suddenly feeling lighter than air. "Slow down, Bo! You're worse than Ikki sometimes! Dinner won't be until it gets dark, but come over earlier if you want. What we're having is up to Pema, and...," she leaned over, scratching Pabu's head, her knuckles accidentally brushing Bolin's cheek. "Pabu would be a welcome guest at the table," Korra cooed as Pabu nuzzled her hand.

For some reason, Bolin's face was a little redder than before, but he still grinned and talked animatedly about the dinner. His eyes seemed to shine while he looked at her, and he gestured with every word. Mako even approached them, smiling a little, his helmet and hesitation left behind.

Her entire body felt like it was lighter, as if any moment she would rise into the air. She had friends, and they were coming over for dinner.

However, Mako soon had to leave. "I promised Toza I'd help him out with some newbies in the gym today, remember Bo?"

"Right, right. I'm doing that tomorrow." Bolin waved an airy hand.

Mako nodded. "Well, see you later, Bo, Korra." For a moment, his eyes caught hers, and Korra felt a swooping sensation in her stomach, but it was gone the next second, along with Mako.

"Soooo," Bolin said, turning back toward her. "Lunch?"

"Sure!" Korra grinned, shaking herself out of the strange feeling that had washed over her when Mako had left.

It took them only a few minutes to change and head up to Mako and Bolin's apartment, which was right above the stadium. The two White Lotus guards that Korra was still required to have with her, followed behind them, giving them enough space to talk privately, but still being close enough to intervene if necessary. The first time Bolin had seen them, he'd bombarded them with excited questions about what it took to be a White Lotus guard, if they had any funny stories of Korra growing up, did they bend any elements, and so on. Though at first they had regarded him with bemusement, and a vague wondering if he was a threat, soon they had warmed up to him. It was hard to not like Bolin; he made everyone feel welcome.

The apartment was small, around the size of Korra's hut back home, but with a little more floor space. It also had quite possibly the best view in the city, with wide windows overlooking Yue Bay and Air Temple island.

They lived by themselves. Probending gave them most of their income, but Bolin said that sometimes they both – Mako especially – did extra jobs for more money. When Korra had asked about their parents, Mako had scowled, and Bolin's face had crumpled a little. "They're dead," Mako had said shortly, marching off soon after. Korra apologized, but the awkwardness passed as soon as Mako was gone, and being with Bo was never awkward. He'd said that they'd been living up in the apartment for nearly a year now, and "it's not much, but its got the best view."

Some days they went out to eat, but other times they simply ate up at the apartment, eating whatever was leftover or in the pantries.

They went inside chatting happily, Korra giving the White Lotus guards a look to know again that  _yes_ , waiting outside the door was still giving her enough protection.

"So, I think we're going to kick some serious ass next week at the match, don't you?" Korra said, settling at the table.

"Oh definitely," Bo nodded vigorously, his eyes bright, "With you and Mako on the team, we're sure to do great!"

She lightly punched his shoulder. "Don't sell yourself short now! We've got you too!"

"Oh, of course," He grinned. "You know I've got some moves." He struck a pose, and Korra laughed. Bolin, his ever present smile still on his face, slid her a bowl of noodles. She slurped them happily, and peppered him with questions in-between bites. Even though she had been there for several weeks now, she still hadn't seen very much of the city.

"So, what do you guys like to do when you're not probending?" Korra asked, taking a break from eating to drink some water.

Bolin finished chewing, and shrugged. "Oh, a few things. We work a bit. Toza always has stuff around the gym for us to do; gives us a little money. Mako's usually out patrolling the streets for extra work too. When I have free time I go swimming, or go to the park, or hang out here with Pabu." He scratched the ferret's head affectionately. "Oh! And sometimes I go dancing. The dance halls here are really great."

"Huh. I've never been dancing before," Korra remarked.

"Really?!" Bolin leaned forward, talking quickly and excitedly. "Oh, we'll definitely have to go sometime! Its so much fun!"

"Eh," Korra scratched behind her head. "I don't really know how. I never had the opportunity to learn."

"I could teach you." Bolin smiled, just as he had the day she'd met him and he'd offered to teach her probending. "I bet you'd get the hang of it quickly."

"Oh, no, no, really. Thanks Bo, but its no big deal. Dancing's not a huge life skill or anything, and its not really my style-"

"So what? Its fun." He leaned back a little in his chair. "Besides, how can you know it's not your style if you've never tried it?"

"Well…" Korra frowned. "In all the pictures I've seen, it's mostly a lot of girls in  _pretty dresses_ and _makeup_ , and that's…not me."

"Dancing is for everyone," Bo said easily. "Do I look like I'm wearing a dress?" He gestured to himself.

"Well…" Korra said teasingly, drawing out the last syllable.

Bolin laughed. "In any case," He stood, and walked toward a table where a small radio sat. He moved through the stations for a moment, until music filled the air. It was a quick song, with sharp piano beats. He turned back toward her, and held out his hand. "Care to dance?"

She flushed. "Oh, Bo, really, I can't-"

"Come on," he said, still grinning. "I said I'd teach you." He leaned forward. "Even Pabu will dance with us."

"He…will?" Korra asked. She stared at Bolin's hand. She'd seen her mom and dad dance before, but it had always been slow, and they'd been pressed close together.

"Sure," Bolin said easily. "Pabu loves to dance."

She still stared at his hand, her face hot. She almost couldn't believe it. She was the Avatar! How could she be balking so much at the idea of  _dancing_?

"Korra." Bolin was serious now, green eyes deep and earnest. "Here's your opportunity."

She took his hand.

He pulled her toward him, and they stood a little closer than arms-length apart. He frowned for a moment, thinking. "Let's start out with something easy. I'm going to put my hand on your back-" he did so, and Korra found herself peering a little over his shoulder. "Okay. Now, you put your left hand on my upper arm, Korra." She did so, feeling incredibly silly. "A little to the left." She shifted her hand. "Great!"

"Now, we hold our other hands like this, see?" He put his left hand over her right.

"O-okay."

He smiled at her. "Relax a little. I promise I won't make you trip."

She laughed, her voice a little higher than normal. "I'm more worried about stepping on your feet, actually."

"Well, my lady," he said, "I believe I will live if you do." She couldn't help giggling a little, and he stepped back just a bit. "Okay, this is a two-step dance. When I step forward with my right foot-" he jiggled said foot for emphasis- "You step back with your left. Then when I step forward with my left foot-"

"I step back with my right?" Korra guessed.

He nodded. "Exactly. See, you're getting it already!"

She was starting to feel herself relax, and she nodded, her face set.

"After that, you'll do the same thing back to me. Ready?"

She nodded again, and he stepped forward slowly. She moved her foot back in turn, almost stumbling a little, but Bolin kept her steady. He stepped forward with the other foot, and she followed him again. She kept her eyes determinedly on their feet. Hesitantly, she stepped toward him, and felt strange satisfaction that he stepped back in time with her. She was doing it right!

In her eagerness, she stepped forward more quickly than he was prepared for, and stepped hard on his foot.

She winced. "Sorry, Bo."

He smiled, shaking his foot out a little. "No problem, Korra. You're doing great. Just keep moving in those steps, okay? Follow my lead."

She nodded, eyes on her feet again. This time she paid attention to the small pressures he put on her hand, how she could feel him moving just a second before he actually did. It reminded her a little of the earliest waterbending move Katara had taught her: simply pulling and pushing a wave.  _Push and pull,_ she thought, moving with him now.

"You're doing great, Korra!" She looked up at him briefly, and he nodded in encouragement. "Now, try to go with the beat of the music."

Korra nodded, looking down again, letting the music fill her ears.

_Blue skies smilin' at me_   
_Nothin' but blue skies do I see_

She almost tripped again, but moved faster, moving to the beats in the song. Back and forth, back and forth, she moved the music, Bolin's arms guiding her. The movement and the words of the song seemed to fill her up, and she grinned, looking up at Bolin again. His eyes flicked away from her for a moment, and his face looked a little red, but then he smiled at her again.

Together, they danced, smiled, and laughed, and Korra thought that the weekend couldn't get there fast enough.

(~-~-~-~-~-~-~)

Korra tumbled out of the spinning gates, skidding a little on the ground, just barely keeping herself on her feet.

Senna winced a little at the sight, but still smiled, stopped halfway from going to gather the laundry, watching the lesson.

"Oooooh, that was so close, Korra!" Ikki called from the other side of the gates.

"You're getting a lot better," Jinora added. "Just a little more practice, and then-"

"Then you will be a master like me!" Meelo proclaimed, waving his arms in the air for emphasis.

Senna saw Korra rolling her eyes a little, blowing hair out of her face.

Tenzin stood a little behind his children, his arms crossed, nodding in approval as the gates slowed to a stop. "They are right Korra," he said as Korra walked around the side of the gates, brushing some dirt off of her airbending attire.

"You truly have improved," he went on, giving a slight smile. "I have faith that things will continue to do so."

Korra grinned. "You bet it will! I'm going to be a great airbender in no time!"

Senna laughed. Deciding that the laundry could wait a few minutes, she walked over to them, waving at her daughter. "Mind if I watch?"

"Not at all," Tenzin said.

Korra shook her head. "Dad was here just a minute ago, said he'll be right back to watch more too."

"Sounds great." Senna ran a hand lightly over Korra's hair. "We'll be cheering for you."

They settled a few feet away, around a large circular depression in the ground, on which was painted the symbol of airbending. Korra and Tenzin stood in the middle of the circle, while Senna and the children sat on the outskirts.

Senna watched eagerly. Apart from wanting to support Korra, airbending was still almost mythic in some ways; she literally was standing there with the last living airbenders, and seeing it actively performed was always exciting. From what Korra told her, the lessons always started out with some meditation, then they would work with the spinning gates, and afterward they would practice with a method Tenzin's father had taught him. Tenzin had said that he'd been inspired by Korra's probending. "I'd forgotten about this," he'd admitted. "My father used to do it in the early days of airbending to try and make it fun. I was always happy with the more strict practices, but he did this to try and get my brother and sister involved in moving like an airbender, and to get me to act like the child I was."

From behind his back, Tenzin revealed an average sized ball. He stepped back a few paces, and Korra took a deep breath, settling into the more relaxed airbender stance. However, she was still far more stiff in it than Tenzin, or even the children.

"Remember Korra," Tenzin said, "Redirect the ball. Do not block it; do not send it at me until the moment is right. Move  _with_  it."

"I know, I know," Korra grumbled. Senna fought a giggle, and saw Tonraq across the way, jogging over quickly so as to not miss the action.

"You go, Kor!" Tonraq called, and Korra laughed, while Tenzin looked slightly annoyed for a moment at their attitudes. Senna's hand found Tonraq's as he sat down beside her. In moments like this, it was almost easy to believe that everything with the White Lotus had just been a bad dream.

"Ready, Korra?" At her nod, Tenzin tossed the ball toward her.

Korra met it at her hands, twisting them around, the ball following up her arm and around her shoulders. She flicked her wrist and it went into the air enough for her to let it hit her chest and roll down her stomach to her foot, where she promptly flipped it up again. Tenzin was looking at her in approval, and the children seemed to be having a debate about how long she could keep it up this time.

She wasn't bending air yet, but as she moved her body began to relax, and gained a fluidity that Tenzin and the children naturally possessed. Like with a lot of bending, watching her move was almost like watching a dance, though Korra didn't always exemplify that image. A lot of her bending was very aggressive, so it always seemed like a battle, even when she wasn't fighting. Now, however, as she twirled and balanced the ball on her body, it was impossible to see it as anything but a dance.

"She's really doing great," Tonraq said quietly. He was watching her with a small smile on his face. Senna squeezed his hand and nodded. She noticed with slight surprise that there were tears in his eyes. "So many people think of flying and freedom in the same breath. Soon, she'll be able to do that, and I can't think of anyone better for it. Our girl," he said. "Our little Korra. She's strong and beautiful, and now, she can really be free."

Senna lightly turned his head toward her, and kissed him deeply. Sometimes she felt as if she were falling in love with him all over again, and she was constantly reminded of how good a man he was.

She ignored the chorus of gagging sounds and complaints from the children, but the noise jolted Korra out of her moment, and the ball fell to the ground.

"Hey!" Senna jumped, and looked over. Korra was glaring at the kids, her hands on her hips. "Can you guys keep it down? I'm trying to airbend here!"

"Daddy says that you should be able to airbend no matter what is going on," Ikki piped up, "But he still tells me to be quiet anyway!"

Senna giggled behind her hand, while Jinora gave a long-suffering sigh of an older sister, and dragged her younger siblings away. "You owe me," she called back at Korra, who looked both grateful and sheepish.

"You did very well, Korra." Tenzin smiled, and with a swooping motion of his arms, airbended the ball back into his palm. "Before we go on, I wanted to ask you how meditating before you go to sleep has been working."

"Oh." Korra rubbed the back of her neck. "Um. I don't know if I'm really meditating or not. I think I may just be falling asleep."

Tenzin raised an eyebrow. "I see. Well, at least-"

"Oh, wait!" Korra cut across him. "I just remembered! I keep having these really strange dreams."

"Really?" Tenzin lowered his arm, and let the ball fall to the ground. "What sort of dreams?"

Senna raised her eyebrows, curious.

"Well," Korra hesitated. "I don't really remember them too well. It's like I just get these brief moments of pictures and sound, almost like flipping really fast through pages in a book. But I've seen Avatar Aang in them."

Senna and Tonraq glanced at each other, frowning a little. Even though Korra was still cheerful, there was always something off about how she would say Avatar Aang's name.

"Really?" Tenzin held his chin thoughtfully. "Hmm. Perhaps as we have been working on your airbending, you have slowly started to unlock your spiritual side. These dreams could be evidence of that. Please let me know if you remember more, and if they keep happening."

"Will do." Korra paused. "Do you really think it means I'm getting close to being able to contact the spirits, or my past lives?" She spoke almost shyly.

"Don't get ahead of yourself, Korra," Tenzin cautioned. "It is a good sign, but it's a little too early to tell exactly what is going on." At her slightly downcast look, he added, "But it is very possible all the same." She brightened a little.

"In any case, thank you for telling me about these. Are you ready to continue?"

Korra resumed her stance again, and Tenzin once more tossed the ball.

"They're good for each other, you know."

Senna and Tonraq jumped, and turned around. Pema was standing there, one hand on her hip, the other on her swollen stomach. She smiled. "Sorry, didn't mean to startle you. I understand getting engrossed in watching your kids."

Senna nodded, and looked back at Korra and Tenzin, who hadn't seemed to notice them talking.

"I just meant that I think being around each other is helpful to them both. Not to sound too prideful, but Tenzin is just the kind of teacher Korra needs."

"And Korra is the kind of student he needs," Tonraq added.

Pema nodded. "Exactly. Our own kids can be a handful for him, but that has more to do with their energy than anything else. I think Korra is teaching him a different kind of patience. I know that they'll be able to help each other." She smiled fondly at both of them, her eyes very soft.

Senna looked at her husband, Tenzin, and then her daughter, and couldn't help but agree.

(~-~-~-~-~-~-~)

Bolin peered anxiously over the side of the ferry, running his hand through his hair and adjusting his shirt in his rippling reflection on the water.

Mako snorted. "Bo, you look fine. Stop fidgeting."

"I just want to look good!" He ran a hand through his hair again. "Mako, we're having dinner with her  _family_! I want to make a good impression!"

"I know, I know." Mako sounded both amused and exasperated. "So you keep saying. That's why you dragged us out to get flowers for both Korra's mom, and her teacher's wife."

"Well I can't get flowers for Korra yet! That is strictly saved for a first date," Bolin countered.

Mako chuckled, but then grabbed his hand again as it made to do another pass through his hair. "Seriously, Bo, you're making me nervous."

"Fine, fine." Bolin stepped away from the water. The ferry was moving now anyway. He knew that it wasn't a fancy occasion, but he'd still decided to wear one of his nicer shirts. It actually had buttons down the middle!

Tonight was special, though. It was the first time he would be exchanging more than a few words with her parents. He knew that Korra was very close to them, so a good impression was key.

Korra hadn't told them too much about her life before she moved to Republic City, but they hadn't told her much about their life before they met her either. Bolin supposed that was fair. He wanted to know everything about her, and share everything with her in return. He'd only known her for a little over a month, and already it felt like she was just a part of his life, important and immovable. She was funny and smart, talented, strong, beautiful, stubborn, confident, and nice. She always was ready to make jokes with him or have a sparring match. She loved Pabu, and they had the same favorite foods.

Mako teased him about being smitten, but it didn't bother Bolin. It was true. How could he  _not_  be smitten with Korra?

"I'm just really excited!" Bolin burst out, and Mako laughed.

"I know you are. I'm looking forward this too. Korra's nice." He lifted up a hand as Bolin opened his mouth. "And don't you go listing the millions of reasons how she is more than just nice, okay? I've heard it several times now."

Bolin grinned, a little embarrassed. "I can't help it, Mako. She's just so-"

"I  _know_." Mako cut across him again, this time smiling fondly.

For a little while, they just watched the waves. It was getting a little darker, and they would be at Air Temple Island in a few minutes.

Mako didn't go to lunch with him and Korra very often. Bolin knew that it wasn't because Mako didn't like Korra; being on the team with her had made Mako like her very much, he knew. But even when there were no scheduled practices, Mako liked to prepare for matches. He would spend hours working on his bending, or strategy, or else looking around for places to get just a little extra cash, just in case. He was glad that Mako had decided for them to go to Korra's for dinner. He needed to have more fun. Bolin hoped that being friends with Korra would help Mako have more fun. Korra was one of the most fun people he knew, so if anyone could help, she could.

Her family was nice. He didn't know too many whole families. Where they'd grown up, it had mostly been orphans, and thinking about sitting down with not one but two whole families had him a little nervous too. He was used to eating around Mako. Were there any particular manners he needed to know? The flowers he thought would be good, but what about dinner itself?

"Hey, Mako."

"Yeah, Bo?"

"It…it will be nice, eating dinner with two whole families like that."

Mako was quiet for a moment. "I think so, too."

Bolin gave a small laugh, his chest feeling tight. "I don't really remember what its like to eat with a whole family."

Again, for a while Mako was silent. Then he put his hand on Bolin's shoulder. "Its one of the best things in the world," he said finally. He looked down at the bouquets in their hands. "It was good thinking, getting them flowers."

"Really?" Bolin felt as if a weight had been lifted from his chest, and Mako nodded.

"Great! I knew it!" He pumped his fist, a few petals falling off of the flowers in his hand.

"Bo, be careful," Mako admonished.

"Right, right." Bolin lowered his arm. It would be nice to eat with two whole families, but Bolin also thought it would be strange. It had just been him and Mako for so long. Mako was his family. They weren't a  _whole_  family, but Bolin thought that they were whole together.

Air Temple Island continued to move closer, and Bolin found himself rocking back and forth on his heels, eager to reach the island, and Korra.

As they approached the shore, he saw something big and white on the docks, another shape leaning up against it.  _That must be Naga!_  Korra described Naga almost nonstop to him. She was her best friend, just like how Pabu was his best friend.

"Hey!" He called as they approached. Korra- the shape leaning against Naga – stood up and waved. Bolin waved back, careful to not jostle the flowers too much. As the ferry docked, Korra jogged toward them, grinning. "I'm so glad you guys came," she said, stopping short in front of them.

The giant polar bear-dog lumbered toward them, and Korra stepped aside. "Guys, this is Naga." She patted Naga's head.

Naga looked at them for a moment, and then gave a sort of  _whuff_  sound, seemingly in approval. Pabu scurried down from his shoulder and stood in front of Naga. Naga leaned down toward him, just as Pabu extended his neck toward her. Their noses touched, and Pabu climbed easily up her shoulders and back, chattering excitedly.

Bolin chuckled. "Looks like those two are friends already."

Korra smiled back. "Looks like it." She saw the flowers in her hands. "Uh, what are the flowers for?" Her eyes darted toward Mako for a moment, and then away.

"For your mom. And your airbending teacher's wife," Bolin said proudly.

Korra blinked, but then smiled again. "That's nice of you guys."

Mako shrugged. "It was Bo's idea, really."

"Well, come on," Korra gestured for them to follow her. "The main compound is just this way."

Air Temple Island was bigger than it looked from Republic City. The houses were small, but cozy looking. There were several lights on in the buildings, and he could see people dressed in yellow and orange robes milling about inside a few of them.

Korra eagerly pointed out some of the places as they walked along. "There's where I do most of my training," she said, pointing toward an area they couldn't quite see. "There's these spinning gates you have to try to avoid, and an area where we meditate. Oh, and over that way is the cave where the flying Bison stay-"

" _Flying Bison?!"_  Bolin and Mako said together, looking at her. She grinned, but before she could say anything else, they arrived at what looked to be the main building, a tall man that Bolin recognized as her airbending teacher was standing outside of it, seeming to be trying to get two children around him to calm down. He was dressed in the same yellow and orange robes he'd seen earlier, and had a long, pointed, beard.

"Now, really, Ikki," Tenzin said, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Please come inside and wash up for dinner."

"Buuuuuut daaaaaady," A girl, her hair in buns on the sides of her head, whined. "We were going to go gliding around the island!"

Meanwhile, the youngest, a boy with a shaved head, waved his arms. "And no washing! I will never wash again!"

At this, the other two turned to look at him with some fear at this idea.

Tenzin shook himself out of it as they walked closer. "Ikki, Meelo, get inside and wash your hands, and sit down for dinner.  _Now_."

The children grumbled, but raced inside, ignoring Tenzin's shouts of "don't run in the house!" With a sigh, he turned around and faced Korra, relaxing a little. "Hello Korra."

"Hey, Tenzin." She smiled, and Bolin felt his heart flutter a little. Every time she smiled he felt as though he was falling for her a little bit more. Dancing with her earlier had certainly done that. "This is Mako and Bolin. My friends," she seemed to add.

"Mako, Bolin. We've only met briefly before, but it's nice to get a chance to really talk with you both." He shook both of their hands, looking curiously at the flowers.

"They're, uh, for your wife and Korra's mom," Bolin explained, flushing a little.

Tenzin looked surprised, but then smiled a little. "That is very kind of both of you. Come on inside." He turned, and they followed behind him.

"You have a very nice, um, island," Bolin offered as they walked in.

Tenzin raised an eyebrow, and then smiled a little. "We do rather enjoy it, yes. Its one of the last places in the world that the airbending culture survives. It was one of my father's many accomplishments. He did not want his culture to die with him, or with me for that matter."

"Not all of the people living here are airbenders, though," Mako said, eyeing a few people in the same yellow and orange robes passing them by.

"Not at all. Only my children and myself remain. The other people on the island, besides my wife and Korra and her family, are acolytes. They study the airbending culture, and even live in a similar manner to airbending nomads. Even though they are not airbenders, they do help to carry on the culture."

"So, do they wear tattoos too?" Bolin asked. "What do your tattoos mean anyway, sir?" They walked down a hall and into a sort of living room, where a long table was set. There were no chairs; instead there were pillows on the floor for them to sit on. A young girl was already sitting on one of them. She was reading a book, and looked up when they entered, giving a slight wave.

Tenzin looked back at him, shaking his head. "The airbending tattoos are awarded to those who reach master airbending status. They run along your body, and follow the chi within it. The acolytes do carry on the traditions, but they do not follow with that honor, as they are not airbenders." He looked at Korra and smiled. "If Korra wishes, she will have the opportunity to get such tattoos herself."

"That's awesome!" Bolin looked at Korra, grinning. Korra smiled back, but it seemed subdued, somehow, and she looked away after a moment. He frowned, and opened his mouth to ask if she was okay, but a moment later a pregnant woman came out of the kitchen, followed by Korra's parents and the children he had seen earlier. Korra immediately brightened at the sight of them.

After introductions, they were seated around the table, passing food around. There were more vegetables and fruits than anything else, though there was some meat as well. Bolin noticed that Tenzin and the children did not eat any meat, but Korra and her family helped themselves to it.

Pema, Tenzin's wife, and smiled brightly at the flowers, as had Senna, Korra's mom. Said flowers were in vases a little ways down the table, so as to not block anyone's view of the other.

Senna was nice. Sweet, a little soft-spoken, and warm. She and Korra had the same eyes, and a very similar smile as well. Tonraq was big, as tall as Tenzin and twice as wide (and the width was pure muscle at that), but also seemed fun, supportive of Korra, and cheerful. Throughout the dinner, Senna and Tonraq would often hold hands, or give the other a quick kiss on the cheek. Bolin knew it would have bothered some people (and the children definitely made noise whenever they noticed them doing it) but it made him smile. It was clear they loved each other very much.

Pema was also kind. She was firm with her children, and her husband, but did everything she could to make sure everyone was comfortable, made good-natured jokes about her pregnancy, and she smiled a lot. Tenzin was dry, and seemed a bit strict, but also understanding and patient, though that patience was stretched thin with his children.

His children were nothing but fun. Jinora was the oldest, a girl around ten or so. She was quiet, and had a book with her at the table, but still often jumped in the conversation with a comment that usually struck more powerfully than her sister Ikki's chatter. And boy, did Ikki talk. Now he understood what Korra meant when she compared him to her, but he couldn't hold a candle to this girl. She practically bounced on her pillow while she talked. Meelo was loud, talked almost as much as Ikki, and full of energy. He airbended the soup bowl to his mother, accidentally splattering her face (and his father's face) with it in the process.

As dinner went on, Bolin found himself looking at Korra. Hell, he always found himself looking at Korra. He watched as she fed extra food to Pabu. As she smiled, listening to the people around her talk. How she looked when she interjected with her opinion. And, strangely, a sort of… _flicker_ …on her face, whenever Avatar Aang was mentioned.

Bolin felt himself relax. All of them were so…happy and full, that he couldn't help but be swept up with them. His dinners with Mako were certainly never this animated or busy, and even though he wouldn't trade them for the world, he found himself hoping that in the future he would have dinners with family like this one.

Mako relaxed too. Bolin noticed it in the way Mako's replies became fuller, how he smiled, the way his shoulders seemed to soften. Mako was always hesitant around people at first, but once he put away that hesitancy, Bolin knew he was one of the most loyal people you could know.

"So, Mako, Bolin," Senna looked at them, smiling softly. "What inspired you to get into probending? Tonraq and I have only been watching for a little while, but already we're getting to be pretty big fans."

"Well-" Bolin began, glancing at his brother, but Mako cut across him.

"We've always loved hearing about the matches," Mako said calmly. "We would always get so excited hearing them, so when the arena was looking for new teams, it seemed like a great opportunity to live out our dreams."

Bolin frowned for a moment. Mako wasn't lying exactly, but there'd been a lot more to entering probending than that. Mako glanced at him, and shook his head slightly. After a moment, Bo understood. Mako wasn't completely against sharing these things with Korra now, but he didn't want to talk about them during dinner with her family, and other people that he didn't know very well.

"Now we have adoring fans, and we get to use our bending in a way that's for more than self-defense," Bolin added.

"I'll admit I wasn't too…pleased with probending originally," Tenzin said, dabbing at his mouth with a napkin. "However, now I find some enjoyment in it, and I am pleased that so many people in Republic City gather to enjoy it. It seems to indicate that perhaps the enmity between benders and non-benders is not as bas as it could be."

"I've heard a little about that," Mako said, setting his fork down. "Something called 'The Equalists', right?"

Tenzin nodded gravely. "The council has been debating about it for some time."

"The equalists…" Korra mumbled. Then she struck her fist on the table. "Oh! I know that name! I saw a person in the park talking about them. He said that he wanted to 'tear down the bending establishment' or something."

For a moment, there was silence. "Why don't they like benders, daddy?" Ikki asked.

Tenzin paused, and Bolin wondered if maybe he wished they weren't talking about this with his children around. Still, he answered. "Well, Ikki, they feel like they are being oppressed, because they can't bend. They feel like they're considered to not be as good as benders," he added at her look of confusion.

"Benders are usually sort of revered in society," Jinora said quietly. "A lot of the culture revolves around it. I guess…" She hesitated. "I guess that benders probably get special treatment sometimes."

"But bending is amazing," Korra said softly. She was looking at her hands. "I don't- we're not trying to oppress anyone…"

"I know." Tonraq said, watching his daughter. He put a hand on her shoulder. "I don't know everything about what is going on here, but the fact remains that we do have power, Kor. It's a power that they don't have. Because we have that power, we often do get special treatment, and it isn't fair to them."

"But- but it doesn't make sense!" Korra hit her fists on the table. "Bending is wonderful! These- these Equalists don't know what they're talking about!" She scowled at the name.

"Korra," Senna said quietly, a small, motherly, warning that even Bolin could recognize.

"Its…kind of like the divide between the rich and poor," Mako said slowly. He looked surprised for a moment, as if he hadn't meant to speak out loud.

Tenzin nodded at him. "Indeed it is."

She looked at her hands again. "That's the kind of thing that the Avatar should handle. I mean, that's what the Avatar does, right? The Avatar brings balance to the world."

She didn't look happy, like she had other times, when she talked about being the Avatar. If anything, she looked…scared. Bolin was struck with the urge to hug her, or to reach across the table and hold her hand.

"Its not all on you, though," he said instead, and she looked up at him, startled. "I mean, you are the Avatar, but, we have the council. And its not something that can just go away, right? Everyone needs to work on it, to make it better, not just you."

For a moment, Bolin thought that Korra might cry, but instead she smiled at him, her eyes so  _blue_  and deep, and he could have sworn that his heart stopped at the sight.

"You are quite right," Tenzin said. "If we want people to be treated equally, it is day by day. We all need to work hard for it to happen. I have faith that it can happen."

"Me too," Pema said, reaching over and holding his hand.

Mako was staring at his food, his eyebrows furrowed. Senna and Tonraq were watching Korra, who in turn was looking at her hands again. The children were quiet, and Bolin's mind raced, wishing that he could think of something,  _anything_ , to say.

"So, what's the South Pole like?" He blurted. Everyone looked at him for a moment, and he flushed. "Um, cold, I'd guess?"

Korra laughed, and he immediately relaxed. "Yeah," she said, smiling now. "Its  _really_  cold."

The rest of the evening passed cheerfully, with Korra telling them stories of how she raised Naga, and Tonraq coming in with a hunting tale when he had been caught in a blizzard. They laughed, and didn't talk about divides, or poverty, or oppression, or being the Avatar.

Bolin smiled, watching them all, reveling in the warmth that now, as he sat there, he could half remember in hazy memories of when he'd had dinners like this waiting for him and his brother every night.

He looked forward to getting to know Korra, and these people, and maybe more dinners like this, in the future.

 


	5. The Revelation

Pema set a cup of tea at his side, and settled, with some difficulty, across the table, onto the cushion on the floor.

"Please," Tenzin said from beside her. He looked from Korra to Mako. "Tell us what happened."

Mako glanced at Korra. She was staring at her hands, which were trembling slightly. She folded them to hide it, and then looked up at him. Korra didn't seem sure how to begin- or maybe she didn't  _want_  to. Her parents sat on either side of her, and he fought to not feel jealous. She had parents to come home to.

He shook it off. Bolin sat at his side, elbows on the table. He hadn't said much on the way back- Bolin had simply hugged him and Korra, thanked them for saving him.

"Spit it out," Chief Bei Fong barked roughly, scowling. She was standing at the end of the table, and had been called over because Mako did not feel like telling this story more times than he had to.

Mako's hand tightened around the teacup, and he glared back, but began. "I came home from work, but Bolin wasn't there. I thought that he might have been visiting Korra, so I came over to check." Now that Bo was here –  _safe, praise the spirits, his little brother was here and safe_  – it was easier to think about, and feel again, the amusement he'd had as he'd come to the island. Bolin spent just about every free moment with Korra, but she didn't seem to have a clue that he was smitten. Then again, after being with her today, he wasn't surprised anymore. For all of her brashness, she was still incredibly naive.

"I told Korra that Bo was missing, and she wanted to help me look for him." Mako looked across the way at his brother.

Bo smiled shakily. "Sorry," he said, and his voice had a slight rasp. He cleared it. "Sorry," he repeated. "I shouldn't have trusted Shin-"

"I  _told_  you I had it under control, Bo." A million thoughts had flashed though him- Bolin, dead like their parents, tortured, starving,  _alone_. "You should have just waited for me-"

"Sorry," Bolin said again, much more softly.

"You were just trying to help," Korra interjected. He looked up at her and gave a small smile.

"No one is faulting Bolin for this," Tenzin said, holding up a hand. "But, please, we need to know everything about what happened."

"Keep talking," the chief insisted severely. "We need all the information we can get."

Korra glared at her, frowning. The chief glared back, and for a moment they stared at each other, willing the other to look away. Finally they both scowled and crossed their arms. Korra looked at Mako again, a little calmer. "Well, Mako asked a bunch of kids if they'd seen Bolin, and one of them said that he'd seen Bo walking with Shady Shin."

Mako almost snorted, remembering the look on Korra's face when he'd paid Skoochy to tell him about Bolin. She'd been shocked that there were children on the streets, let alone that he would pay such a child for information. What kind of sheltered life had she been living?

"We used to run numbers for the Triads," Bolin mumbled. "When we were-"

Mako looked at him sharply. He hadn't wanted to tell Tenzin and Korra's parents about things like that yet. Bolin seemed to sense his gaze and stopped mid-sentence, still looking at his hands.

"We went to the Triad's hideout," Mako continued as if Bo hadn't said anything. "They don't change location too often, but the Equalists were already there. They were shoving the Triads and Bo into the back of a truck-" He stopped, his throat working convulsively, fighting against the images- Bo's eyes wide, terrified, silently begging for Mako to save him, screaming,  _help mommy daddy where are you, Mako what's happening?!_

He closed his eyes tightly, and forced it down, forced away Bolin's screaming voice, their bodies, his brother bound and gagged, electrocuted, because he was safe now,  _safe_ , and Mako wouldn't let anything happen to him again.

He opened his eyes, and the others were staring at him, Korra and Bo included. Korra looked as if she had a faint idea of what was on his mind, but Bo- his face had always been too easy to read, and Mako could see that he knew it completely.

"We don't have time for this," the chief insisted impatiently. "If these people are kidnapping citizens, there's no reason to believe they'd stop with the ones tonight."

Mako forced himself to go on, to focus on the kind faces of the family around him, and the truth in the chief's words. "The Equalists drove away. We chased after them, but some of them stayed behind to keep us from following." He snorted, ashamed of his own weakness. "They made short work of us." He met Tenzin's eyes. "They've been taught Chi-blocking."

Tenzin's eyebrows furrowed, and he exchanged glances with the chief. "Indeed. Go on, Mako."

"Tenzin," Korra broke in, as if she couldn't hold back any longer. "They stopped my – our – bending! I didn't know they could do that! How-"

"It focuses on the flow of energy in the body, and blocks those specific points through pressure and movement," Tenzin said. "It's been around for quite some time. My mother knew a girl during the war that was an expert at it, and she in turn taught it to the Kyoshi warriors. Its spread even further since, but more on that later." Tenzin focused on Mako again, and Korra frowned petulantly, wanting to know how they could possibly take away her bending, even if only for a little while. After all, perhaps that was how Amon…

Mako nodded, and went on. He said that Korra mentioned that she'd seen someone handing out fliers at the park about the Equalists, so they went there to wait for the protester, and fell asleep. In the morning, the protestor had been there, and Korra-

Here he hesitated again, and glanced at Korra, though she didn't seem to understand or notice.

She'd attacked the protester. She'd held him up and threatened him, shoved him to the ground, and Mako had seen too many people doing that to starving kids on the streets, people like the Triads, and Korra was the Avatar. More than that, she was his friend now, and seeing her do that- scaring that man when they had no way of knowing if he knew about Bolin, or what Amon could do…

Mako knew there was little limit to what he would do to save Bolin. If that man had kidnapped him, hurt him, Mako would have been first in line to hurt him back, damn the consequences or the law, but he didn't argue that it would have been right.

Looking at Korra then- the rush of challenge, the anger,  _power_  so clearly coiled within her – scaring a citizen to get what she wanted. That definitely wasn't right either, but Korra thought that it was.

His hesitation lasted only a moment, and he said: "We managed to pick up some of his scattered flyers, and noticed that there were strange shapes on the back- like a map. We compared it to a larger city map, and we found the Equalists' base."

Korra didn't seem to notice his omission, and he continued. "The flyer was an invitation too. We managed to get in, and hid in the crowd. Then, they pulled the captives up on the stage-" and here his anger did get the best of him, his fingers clenching on his knees as he watched the masked men drag the people on the stage while the crowd cheered.

"And Amon came forward." He went on quickly before Tenzin or Chief Bei Fong could ask anything. "He kept his mask on the whole time, so I don't know what he looks like. He said that when he was young, a firebender killed his family and burned his face. He said that the spirits were angry at how the benders were ruling over the other people- so they had given him special abilities."

Korra wasn't looking at anyone, staring at the table. Her hands were shaking. Her parents noticed, and put their hands over her own. Bolin noticed too, and looked at her with concern overshadowing his shame and exhaustion.

Mako took a slight breath, remembering how the crowd had stilled, how Korra-  _Korra_ , of all people- had shrunk back seeing what Amon could do. The fear that had shivered its way across his own body. "Amon grabbed Lightning Bolt Zolt, and had him be untied. Zolt tried to fight but Amon- it was like he could see everything he was about to do and he just-" Mako shook his head, still half unable to believe it. "He got behind him, and put his thumb on Zolt's forehead, and Zolt couldn't move, and then he collapsed, and Amon said that he had taken away his bending- permanently."

For a moment, everyone was silent.

"That's impossible," Senna breathed, her eyes wide, glancing at her husband and then her daughter as if for confirmation. Korra seemed determined to look at the table, scratching a little at its surface.

"Tenzin, you're the expert of the spiritual," the Chief said, leaning forward a little. What do you know about this? All I know is what I heard about Avatar Aang and Yakone-"

"I- I don't believe it," Tenzin said, as if to himself, running a hand over his face. "The Avatar is the only one that has ever been able to do that, Lin." Almost absently, he held his wife's hand tightly, as Pema looked as though she had no idea of what to say. Tenzin looked up again, looking at Korra this time. "Korra, how is this-"

"I saw it, Tenzin." She looked up at him unwillingly, her voice eerily calm. "Zolt stood up and tried to fight, but his bending wouldn't work. Amon said that he was going to do it to everyone."

"To make everyone equal," Pema murmured.

Mako nodded. "He dragged Bo up on the stage, and Korra and I made a distraction. Korra burst a steam pipe so people couldn't see, and I got Bolin off of that stage. From there, we just had to get past the Equalists, and as far away from them as possible."

"What can you tell me about their weapons, besides the Chi-blocking?" Chief Bei Fong asked, almost speaking on top of him.

"They have a lot of technology I've never even heard of, let alone the weapons. They had sticks that acted a lot like lightning bending- Bo and I got hit with those pretty hard. I didn't get a good look at too much else."

The chief looked a little disappointed, and then thought for a moment. "Could one of you tell me where the hideout was?"

Mako nodded, and Korra did a moment later.

"They won't have stayed there," the chief said to herself, "But there still might be something left over that could be useful." She stood, and nodded to them all, seeming to do it to Korra as an afterthought. "I may question all of you again, but for now, rest up."

She turned to Tenzin. "Think you could get me into contact with some of those Kyoshi warriors? I need a better understanding of Chi-blocking, and if they could teach my non-bender officers, it would be a real advantage."

Tenzin nodded. "Of course."

"Good. I'd like a few more words with you as well." She looked back at them, and for a moment she seemed to be just a little less severe. "Get that one to bed," she said, nodding to Bolin. "You've seen a lot, and been through the ringer today. Rest up, because you may not get any here soon," She added darkly. She began to walk toward the hall, Tenzin in tow, before she looked back at Korra, and gave one last nod.

"Avatar," she said coolly.

"Chief," Korra said back, just as icy.

The Chief snorted, and rounded the corner, Tenzin on her heels.

Pema patted his arm softly. "If you boys don't want to take the ferry so late, you are more than welcome to stay here," she offered. "We have plenty of room."

Mako smiled a little at her. Her face then- concerned, but warm and sincere – reminded him of another face, from long ago. "Thank you, but, Bo and I just want to go home."

She nodded. "Of course. I'll go make sure the ferryman will be here soon." With some difficulty she stood, and went through another door across the way.

Mako stood too, and Bolin followed suit, still a little hunched over.

"Korra," Mako said.

The Avatar- his teammate, his friend- looked up at him. "Yeah?"

He smiled just a little. "Thanks. For everything."

She smiled back, and nodded. "Stay safe," she said, her eyes lingering on Bo. "I'll see you guys at practice soon, okay?"

Bolin brightened a little, and nodded vigorously. "Sure thing, Korra!" Before she could say anything, he walked around the table, and leaned down between Korra and her mother, giving her a quick hug that she returned, seeming to relax a little.

After nodding to Senna and Tonraq, they made their way outside. Mako put his arm across Bo's shoulders, still half unable to believe it. Bo was here, safe.

"Let's go home."

(-~-~-~-~-~-)

Lin stopped short not long after they entered the hallway. She turned to face him.

"What is it, Lin?" Tenzin asked. Though things were often strained between them, he valued her opinion over almost all others.

"These Equalists aren't an equal-rights group anymore." She sighed, rubbing her eyes. "This is about to get complicated, politically." She shook herself and spoke to Tenzin again more sharply. "I want to address the council meeting tomorrow, and discuss some new measures I want to implement. If we're not careful, we'll get people feeling us taking action against the Equalists means that we do want to persecute non-benders."

Tenzin nodded. "The council will not be easy to convince. Tarrlok in particular has been trying to push some legislation through that could restrict the activities of all non-benders."

Lin snorted. "Tarrlok's not going to solve anything that way, the idiot."

Tenzin arched a brow. "Indeed." He thought for a moment. "I'm not sure what could possibly give Amon the ability to take someone's bending away. As far as I am aware, only the Avatar has ever been able to do that."

"Do you think its possible he did come into contact with a spirit?" Lin folded her arms, looking skeptical even as she spoke.

"Perhaps. Zuko's Uncle Iroh once traveled through the Spirit world, so I suppose it is not impossible that this man did the same, and came across some malevolent spirit."

She shook her head. "Hmph. I'd more likely believe that he's doing something related to chi-blocking. Still, this changes everything, Tenzin. He's kidnapping citizens, and he's taking their bending. Amon needs to be taken down."

"I agree." He was silent for a moment. "You know, after the Hundred Years War, many Firebenders were attacked, for no reason other than that they were Firebenders. I'm worried that we're going to give people the impression that non-benders are the enemy. The fact is that they don't have equal rights, Lin, and that is something that needs to change."

"I know that, Tenzin." Lin said, slightly sharp. "Many of my officers are non-benders. Don't think it hasn't escaped my notice that they can't carry the same rank as the metal benders. That there isn't a non-bender on the council."

"Look at Pro-bending," Tenzin added, almost to himself. "The very definition of it prohibits anyone who can't bend. It isn't right." He sighed. "But the more immediate issue is Amon. You are right. He cannot be allowed to kidnap citizens. We just have to try and handle this carefully."

"No shit."

He almost laughed. Lin was just like her mother in so many ways, and they both shared the same crassness, and the same foul mouth.

She looked like she almost smiled too, and then she frowned again, staring past him. "Things are going to get difficult Tenzin. There's a hard road ahead." She looked at him again. "I hope the Avatar is ready for it."

She nodded to him as a goodbye, and then left.

"So do I," Tenzin said softly. "So do I."

(~-~-~-~-~-~)

Mako stepped forward, adjusting his scarf. With the money from working at the generator the other day, he had enough money to buy some more groceries, and they desperately needed some more food.

The trolley across the street was getting ready to leave, and he quickly jogged out into the street so he could catch it-

Tires squealed against the road, and he barely had time to turn his head and get a faint impression of a scooter heading toward him before –  _WHAM_.

He fell backward, elbows scraping on the street, rolling a little, wind knocked out of him. He shook his head feeling slightly dizzy.

Faintly, he noticed the scooter's occupant stopping and climbing off. "Oh no! I'm so, so sorry! I didn't see you!" Her voice was muffled, and she reached out to help him to his feet.

Dizzyness gone, he practically shoved her away. "How could you not see me?" He demanded furiously, as she started to take off her helmet. "I mean, I was ju-"

His voice cut off as she took off her helmet and shook out a length of tumbling black hair. Her eyes- a light green- met his and he suddenly felt dizzy again. She was  _gorgeous_.

He stuttered. "Ju-ju-I was-wow, uh, um." He coughed.

She didn't seem to notice, rushing forward again to get a look at his arm. "I didn't hurt you, did I?" She asked worriedly, pulling him to his feet. Despite her delicate appearance, she was pretty strong.

His heart hammered in his chest. She was- wow. He fought to find his voice. "No, uh, I'm fine!" He dusted himself off a little, feeling more in control of his voice. "My brother hits me harder than that at practice every day!"

Her face seemed to light up, and his heart hammered so loudly he almost didn't hear her. "Oh, I recognize you! You're Mako, from the Fire Ferrets! You guys are my favorite team!"

Mako stood a little taller. "Yeah, that's me!" He'd never been so happy to be a pro-bender before.

She ran a hand over her face, laughing a little. "Oh, I am  _so_  embarrassed." She looked up at him again and smiled brightly, offering her hand to shake. "I'm Asami. Let me make this up to you somehow. How about I take you out to dinner? Tomorrow night, eight o'clock? Kuang's Cuisine."

"Oh." Mako rubbed the back of his neck, deflating a little. "I- uh, don't really have anything to wear to a place that classy."

Asami waved an airy hand, smiling again. He tried not to stare too much, feeling himself smiling as well. "I'll take care of that," she promised. She slipped on her goggles. "So, it's a date?"

Mako nodded, his head bobbing a little too much. "Sure! Yeah!"

Asami righted her scooter and slid on. "Great! See you tomorrow night!" She waved, and then carefully went around him, speeding off.

"Yeah," Mako echoed breathlessly. "Tomorrow night…"

(~-~-~-~-~-~)

Korra tapped her fingers on the table, staring out the window, only catching every other word Tenzin was saying.

Airbending practice was getting better, but in other areas of her training with Tenzin, she very often felt bored and angry. Tenzin had mentioned that he would have to teach her about the law, but she hadn't thought it would be so thorough. And long. And boring.

Some of it she already half knew, such as how Republic City was founded after the Hundred Years War, thanks to Avatar Aang, bloodbending being officially outlawed, and so on.

She fought a sigh. How could Tenzin  _still_  be going on? She could have sworn that she had been sitting there for hours!

"I don't understand why I have to learn all of this, Tenzin." Korra muttered mutinously.

Tenzin looked up from the book in his hand. "Do you want to get arrested again?" he asked dryly.

Korra rolled her eyes. "That's just it! I don't understand why I was arrested in the first place. I'm the  _Avatar_ , for crying out loud."

Tenzin looked at her, his eyebrow raised. "And that makes you better than everyone else, does it?"

Korra scowled. She was different from other people, so how could she expect to be held by the same laws? But his words made it sound bad, suddenly. "That's not-"

Tenzin cut across her. "Korra. You are the Avatar, but you are not above the law. You are a person, just like everyone else. If you follow along with that line of thought, there would be no limitations to what you could do-"

Korra stood up angrily. "Well, what's so wrong with that?! The Avatar has to do things other people can't! Like when we were looking for Bolin, and I had to interrogate that Equalist protestor-"

"Interr- "Tenzin's eyes widened. "Korra, what did you  _do_?"

Suddenly, she couldn't speak. She'd never heard Tenzin use that tone of voice before. "I…I just threw him around a little. Tenzin, they'd kidnapped Bolin, I had to-"

" _Korra_!" Tenzin stood to his full height. "You attacked a citizen?!"

"He knew where Bolin was! He probably knew that Amon was capturing benders-"

"You don't know that for sure!" Tenzin stepped closer, aggressive, more than Korra had ever seen before, but she met him stare for stare, not backing down. "Korra, you can't just _attack_  people to get what you want!"

"I'm the Avatar!" Korra shouted. "Its my duty to-"

"To  _what_?" Tenzin demanded. "To bully people? To abuse your power for your own needs?" His palm hit the table, and Korra growled.

"I'm not abusing my power," She insisted. "I have  _every_  right-"

"No, Korra, you have  _no_  right!" Tenzin shouted right back at her. "You want to know why you can't do things like that? You may be the Avatar, Korra, but you are still just a person, and you are no better than anyone else! You are not better than that man you attacked! Thinking that way- having nothing to pull you back, going around the laws just because it is what you want – that thinking is  _exactly_  what started the Hundred Years War!"

"No!" Korra felt tears in her eyes suddenly, but she ignored them, fists clenching, blood pounding in her ears, in her whole body, and she practically spat her next words. "No, Tenzin, you're- you're just an old man living in his father's shadow-"

Tenzin didn't seem to hear her. "Is that what you want, Korra?! No stops, doing everything you want to do because you are the Avatar? Where will you draw the line? Or do you wish to be become judge, jury, and executioner all in one?"

_Executioner._

Korra froze, her eyes wide, half risen from the table.

"Is that what you  _want_?" Tenzin demanded again, gesturing harshly, his robes swinging, and Korra jerked her head up at him. "Firelord Sozin, Firelord Ozai, they thought that because they had power others didn't that they could make the world how they wanted it to be, no matter who or what stood in their way! They burned villages and people! They killed all the Air Nomads and they  _decimated_  the Southern Water Tribe! All because they thought they were better than everyone else! Is that what you want, Korra? Is that who you want to  _be_?"

A million images passed in front of her eyes.  _Flashflashflash._  The man's terror as she'd lifted him up. The people around her cheering as Amon took Zolt's bending away-

"I'M NOT!" Korra screamed, pounding her fists on the table. There was a moment of silence, and before Tenzin could say anything else, she ran from the room.

And kept running.

Half-formed thoughts flew through her mind. Keep running.  _Go see Mako and Bolin. Hide at the stadium. Run back and scream at Tenzin, he didn't know what he was talking about, didn't-_

She was the Avatar! She brought balance and peace, and people loved her!

 _Not those people with Amon the night before._ They had cheered when Zolt's bending was taken away, cheered when Amon said that the Avatar had failed them.

She kept running, until she reached the stables where Naga would usually take a nap around this time.

Naga looked up at her approach, giving a happy  _whuff_ sort of sound at seeing her, her tail wagging furiously. Korra crashed into Naga, wrapping her arms around her neck, burying her face in her fur.

"Naga," She hissed. "You won't believe what Tenzin just said. I mean he just- he-" She growled, clutching Naga tighter for a moment before releasing her and kicking at the straw on the floor.

"Korra?"

Korra jumped, and almost ran again. She whirled around to see her parents standing there, confused and worried, her mother's hand reaching out to her.

Tonraq's eyebrows drew together. "Korra, did something happen? What's wrong?"

She darted her eyes away. "Nothing, dad."

"Korra," He said seriously, in a tone that clearly stated he didn't believe her. "Tell me what's wrong." He put a hand on her shoulder, and she looked up at him. "Come on Kor. You know you can tell me anything."

Senna was right next to him, her hand on Korra's arm. "Please, sweetheart. Tell us what happened."

Tenzin's voice played over again in her mind. Her fists clenched. What right did he have to say those things? She was the Avatar- she was the bringer of peace and balance, and he was just-

"Its Tenzin!" She burst out, furiously gesturing toward the ground, a little bit of fire escaping her fists.

She told them everything. How she had been at Tenzin's stupid lesson, how she'd tried to say she didn't need to learn what he was telling her, how he reacted to what she'd done to the protestor-

"Wait, you did what?" Senna gasped, eyes widening.

Korra huffed impatiently. "The Equalists are hurting people, mom! It's not right! I had to interrogate him, I  _had_  to save Bolin!"

Her mother and father exchanged glances, but Korra hardly noticed, telling them all about how Tenzin had just blown up and accused her of wanting to be like Firelord Ozai, how he said that she was being foolish. Couldn't he understand that she'd had to get that information out of the protestor? What if something worse had happened to Bo? She  _had_  to-

"Korra,  _listen_!"

Korra stopped. Her father was staring at her, his eyes hard. Her mother was watching her also, with a look Korra had never seen before: disappointment.

It felt like a punch in the gut. Her parents were disappointed in her. Before she could say anything, Senna went on.

"Korra, what the Equalists are doing is not right. We're not saying that it is. But that doesn't make what you did right, either."

"Why not?!" Korra hit her fist on a post. Naga jumped a little, and then nuzzled her hand. "I'm the Avatar, and they were the bad guys! That's how it works!"

"Korra," Senna said softly. "Is your father better than me because he is a man?"

"What? No!" The idea was so absurd that for a moment her guilt and anger disappeared.

"Well, why not?" Senna asked patiently. "After all, he's stronger than I am. He can do all sorts of things I can't do, like bend water, and-"

"But that doesn't matter!" Korra insisted. "You're still-"

"A person," Senna finished.

Korra blinked, and then looked at her lap, shame filling her again. She tried to shake it off, letting her anger at Tenzin show through. "I never said they weren't people! Of course they're  _people_ , they're just-"

"Not as important as you?" Tonraq asked. Korra stopped, and looked away.

"Korra. I don't agree with Tenzin shouting at you like he did, but he was right. You're smart, you know it is true. The White Lotus told you every day how being the Avatar makes you better, but did you really think about it in terms of people, Kor?" He put his hand under her chin, tilting her head toward him. "Are you better than me? Than your mother? Than your friends, Bolin and Mako?"

"I…" Korra wanted to say no. But she thought of the White Lotus's words. How, when she had come to Republic City, she'd expected everything to be okay even though she smashed up buildings. How she'd imagined statues built in her honor. The man's fear as she'd pushed and grabbed him. She remembered Katara telling her about how her mother was killed by a firebender. In her mind, she saw a hundred images, some too fast to recognize. Some were blurry, others she knew from her dreams- images, of things Avatar Aang wanted her to see.

Places burning. People screaming. Skeletons. Fire.

She wanted to say that she didn't think she was better than everyone else, but she'd been acting as though she was. Thinking as though she was.

Her bending could be taken away just as Zolt's had. Just as Bolin's almost was.

She saw Amon's hand floating above her, and closed her eyes against the image.  _No_. No. She couldn't let her bending get taken, without it- without being the Avatar- no, no she couldn't think about it, couldn't think about the fear.

She thought of the man she'd pushed, the fear in his eyes. Suddenly, his face changed to Bolin's. The exact same fear was in his green eyes.

In that moment, it was all too clear.

"We're no better than other people, sweetheart. Not the members of the Equalists, or anyone. And neither are you."

She still wanted to protest, somehow. She wanted to make herself feel better, even after she'd done those things, thought those things…

Korra felt their hands on her shoulders, and buried her head in her father's chest, tears leaking out of her eyes. "What can I do?" She gripped her arms tighter. "I was so  _stupid_! I can't believe I- I-"

"Shhh, sweetheart," She felt her mother's arms wrap tightly around her. "You're thinking about it now, and that's what is important."

"As to what you can do," Tonraq added, his own warmth around her as well, "An apology's usually the way to go."

"Apologize?" Korra looked up. "But- he won't listen to me. He probably wants my bending to get taken away! And- and its probably too late to apologize now."

"You don't know that, Kor. And even if he doesn't respond to it, what matters is that you tried to make amends." Tonraq ran his hand down her hair. "And there's no time limit on apologies, you know."

"I guess," Korra said softly, ashamed to have been crying. She shouldn't have been showing weakness like that.

No wonder the people in the crowd of Equalists had cheered. She  _had_  failed them as an Avatar. Not only could she not airbend, but she was hurting the people she was supposed to protect.

She thought of the fear in the man's eyes again. The fear in Bolin's eyes.

The White Lotus had said that people loved the Avatar, not feared them.

She'd done that. Put that fear in the man's eyes. Made him cower. Hurt him. No wonder Avatar Aang didn't want to talk to her.

Her fists clenched in her father's shirt. She was the Avatar. She had to get it right.

"Okay," she said, quietly. Then, louder, "Okay. I'll do it. I'll apologize to him."

She felt her mother's hand on her chin, tilting her face up. "That's good," Senna said sincerely. "But you have to remember this, Korra. Tenzin wants to teach you the law because its binds all people, yourself included. He wants to teach you the law so that you can help people. You can't help anyone if you fell as though you are better than they are." Senna kissed her forehead softly, and then pulled back. "One last thing."

"What?"

Senna smiled a little. "Korra, I'm proud of you."

"We both are," Tonraq added, his arms tightening around them.

"Wh- why?" Korra asked, bewildered.

"Because you've realized that you made a mistake, and you're going to try and make things right. Not everyone would do that Korra. It takes a lot of courage."

She felt herself smile a little. "Really?"

"Really."

They hugged her again, and Korra let herself be surrounded in their warmth, for a moment allowing all thoughts of failure and nervousness leave her mind.

(~-~-~-~-~-~)

He was in the park again.

Korra was a little ways away, sitting on Naga, her White Lotus guards around her. Now that Amon's abilities had been revealed, it had been decided it was even more important for her to have a guard with her in the city.

"You guys can wait here," she said, sliding off of Naga, who licked her affectionately as she passed. The guards looked like protesting, but she put her hands on her hips. "Seriously. I'll only be a few feet away. Feel free to come rushing in if he starts attacking!" Korra waved her hands in the air exasperatedly, her irritation a little muted. Despite her resolve, and what her parents had said, she was still nervous. Apologizing had never been her strong suit, and how could she apologize for something like  _this_?

Reluctantly, the guards nodded, and waited with Naga. Korra took a deep breath, and marched toward the protester.

He was speaking loudly into his cupped hands, and she remembered flinchingly that she had smashed his megaphone. Did he not have money for a new one? She had flashes of memory of the homeless man she'd met her first day in the city, of the children who lived on the streets. She wondered suddenly how many were non-benders, if this man even had a home to go to.

"- benders want us to believe that we are equal, but we are not! With the Equalists, we will all truly be-" He stopped short at the sight of her.

For a moment, a flicker of fear crossed his face, and Korra felt as if her insides had frozen at the sight.

Then the man seemed to pull himself together, and he was shouting into his cupped hands again. "Look who it is! The head of the oppressors herself, the Avatar!"

The small crowd that had gathered turned to her accusingly, some of them already jeering, taunting.

"No, wait-!" Korra began, but the protestor cut across her.

"What are you going to do to us today, huh? I don't have a megaphone for your to smash!" He gestured to the crowd at large. "Its because of people like her that we are suffering! The Avatar and the Councilors turn a blind eye to non-benders, simply because we can't do what they can!"

"No!" Korra said, her voice a little higher than normal. "That's not-"

"We don't want you here, Avatar!" One of the crowd members called.

"Yeah, leave us alone!" Another added.

"The Avatar is supposed to bring peace," the protestor continued, "But does  _this_  look like peace to you?!"

"No!" The crowd roared back, raising their fists to the air.

"Listen," Korra said, fighting her anger now. "I'm trying to-"

"Trying to what?" The protestor called back. "Trying to keep us in line?" He hopped down off of his podium. "Well, we won't stay in line! Its time to fight back!"

The crowd pressed in around her. She couldn't see the street anymore, or Naga and the White Lotus. The people around her shouted, booed, demanded that she leave, called her a disgrace, evil-

"I'M SORRY!" Korra burst out, eyes tightly closed, fists clenched, her foot stomping the ground, which cracked a little beneath her.

The people fell silent.

She opened her eyes to see them staring at her in shock.

She took a deep breath again, and faced the protester. "You- I'm sorry." She said again. "For what I did before. It wasn't right. I- I had no right. I attacked you, and- and it was wrong."

He blinked several times, and she could hear the crowd murmuring behind her, clearly unsure what to think.

She cleared her throat. "That's- that's why I'm here. I'm sorry. I'm not just the Avatar to the benders. I'm your Avatar too, and I shouldn't- mean, you shouldn't be-"

"This is a trick," The protester said, as if trying to reassure himself. "You want to bring the police down on me, so you're tricking me!"

"No!" Korra took a step closer, half reaching out, and he stepped back immediately, the fear flashing in his eyes again. Her hands dropped to her sides. "I just…I really am sorry."

For a few moments he just stared at her. Then his gaze hardened. "The Avatar is sorry," He said.

"Yeah, I am," Korra began, but he cut her off.

"Well, that's just  _dandy_ , but does it bring back my megaphone? Or get rid of the scrapes on my elbows? Does it get any of us better jobs?" He swept his arm out again, toward the quieter crowd, who seemed to stand taller at his words.

"No, but, I want to help-"

"We are tired of words!" The protester cupped his hand around his mouth again. "The councilors and the Avatar are  _sorry_! But they'll never take any action to truly help us!"

"I want to help you!" Korra insisted. "I'm going to do everything I can-"

The protester scowled. "We'll believe that when we see it,  _Avatar_."

She'd never heard her title used as an insult before. She jerked back as if she'd been struck, and the crowd started to chant:

" _No more lies! No more lies!"_

They turned to her, seeming to almost advance on her, but Korra held her ground. "I'll help you!" She yelled over the din. "I promise, I'll help you!" Her eyes found the protester's for a moment. "And I'm sorry!" She shouted again.

He seemed to stumble for a moment in his chant, but then be brought back his voice full force.

She stepped back a few paces, and then turned, and started to walk away. When she was a few feet away, she turned back. Her first day here, she'd seen this man, she'd seen people rallying around him. She'd heard much the same things, and tried to make him listen to her.

Instead, she'd made him afraid of her.

The others around him were scared too. Maybe they didn't have homes, like those children she'd met. Maybe they had been hurt by benders in the past.

She'd heard so much about what a paradise Republic City was. Before she'd come here, she'd never even known that homeless children existed. She'd never known that there were people struggling with work. People that hated her. People who were being hurt because they were different. People like her mother.

She would protect them. She would be the best Avatar the world had ever known. People would say her name like they did Avatar Aang's- reverently, proudly.

 _I'm the Avatar,_ She thought, staring determinedly at the group.  _I'll help them. I'll make things right. I have to._

(~-~-~-~-~)

That night, warm in her bed, she had the first in a long series of horrible nightmares.


	6. Chapter Six: For the Night is Dark and Full of Terrors Pt. I

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Firstly, sorry for the long wait. For those that don’t know, I have been working on outlining this story. I want to make it the best that I can, and that includes making sure I don’t write myself into any corners. I’ve had a lot of great brainstorming sessions for how this story will go, as well as the potential sequel. (If you want to see some of my thought process on this fic and those brainstorming sessions, follow me on tumblr at cjwritergal.tumblr.com, and look at my 'spirits cry concepts' tag, which you can locate through a link on the side of my blog that leads to my tags. Beware of spoilers for future parts of the story, as well as the sequel). 
> 
> As we get further and further away from the canon LoK season one, you’ll notice more changes. I’ve made a couple of those changes in this chapter (such as adding more to Mako and Asami’s date, making Tarrlok seem more genuine, and adding a lady non-bender to the council, and more that you will see in Chapter Seven). I think all of these are good changes that will add to the story, but as always I welcome criticism. 
> 
> This was originally written as one long chapter, but once I reached 14000 words I thought It was a good idea to split it. As a result, the seventh chapter will likely be up soon.
> 
> The title for this chapter was inspired by Game of Thrones. For some of the dialogue, I consulted the transcripts for the episodes available online. Such dialogue does not belong to me, and is the property of Bryke and Nickelodeon.
> 
> Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter Six

For the Night is Dark and Full of Terrors

Mako was out of his element.

He gave a nervous half smile, knowing that his brother would have appreciated the pun in his thoughts. From across the table, Asami smiled back at him, looking as though she ate in fancy restaurants every night. Which was entirely possible, now that he thought about it.

He tugged at the sleeve of his suit jacket (a gift from Asami, as more payment for accidentally running him over), his hands folded tightly together on the table. He’d never been inside such a nice place; the walls were draped with various curtains that he assumed were made of an appropriately expensive material, and the lights were low enough to give everything in the restaurant a softer appearance. The tablecloth was smooth, and decorated in deep, dark, colors that added a quiet atmosphere to the whole place.

Mako opened his mouth to say something, his mind searching desperately for an idea of what to comment on, but he closed it a second later, Asami looking at him questioningly.

He’d gone out on dates before. He wasn’t a total novice when it came to speaking with girls, but he found it incredibly difficult with Asami. He felt alternately at ease and on edge around her, even in the short time he’d known her. He wanted to ask her questions, but absolutely none came to his mind, and he was starting to feel the beginnings of panic. The expensive restaurant didn’t exactly help, either.

After a few more seconds of awkward silence, Asami cleared her throat. “So, Mako, what else do you do besides probending and getting hit by wayward motorists?” She smiled, leaning forward a little, resting her chin over her entwined hands.

Mako laughed, a little too loudly, and fought back a blush as a passing waiter looked at him in some concern, as if worried that he was choking. Asami laughed a little too, but softly, and it somehow gave him the impression that she wasn’t laughing _at_ him, exactly.

He cleared his throat, and tried to force words out of his mouth. “Work, mostly.” He felt like giving himself a pat on the back; that was a totally understandable sentence, if a bit monosyllabic.

“Oh?” Asami sat a little straighter. “What kind of work do you do?”

“Whatever work I can get,” Mako replied, almost too quickly. For a moment he wished he could take them back, and maybe re-think his response. It was too honest, for someone he barely knew, let alone someone as wealthy as Asami clearly was. “That is,” he added, as Asami’s eyebrows drew down in- concern? Confusion? “I work a lot of odd jobs around the arena, and I just started working at the power plant as well.” This, too, still somehow felt like too much information, and he reached for his water, all-but knocking it over in his hurry. He wanted to say these things, just as he wanted to ask her questions, but he didn’t at the same time. 

He wondered what Bolin would say if he were here. He’d probably blurt out their whole situation without a thought, but then again Mako wasn’t doing much better. _Relax, Mako!_ He could hear him say, and after swallowing his drink he let out a deep breath he hadn’t known he’d been holding.

Asami cocked her head to the side. “You can lightning bend?”

He nodded. “For a long time, now.”

She looked neither impressed nor unimpressed, instead making a “hmm” sound in her throat. “What got you into probending, then?”

Mako hesitated for a second, looking at her across the table. He’d already been more honest with her than he was with most people, but at the same time he didn’t want to unload everything on her. He didn’t want her pity, or her charity. But – and maybe it was the softness of the light or the drink or how fucking _pretty_ and kind she looked across the table – he still wanted to tell her the truth.

He ran his thumb across the top of his glass. “It…” He hesitated again for a second, and then went on quietly. “It was my brother Bolin’s idea, actually. We were…low on money, and he read in the paper about the prize.” He chuckled to himself, remembering how excited Bo had been. “I didn’t want to at first; thought it was a long shot. But Bolin pointed out that the prize money was more than we’d likely ever be able to make in a year working, and that there was nothing stopping us from continuing to try to get other jobs at the same time. So I agreed.” He frowned angrily, and his finger slid down the glass to the table. “But we lost our chance for that now.”

Asami frowned. “What do you mean?”

Mako hesitated. She put her hand on top of his, and he jumped a little at the warmth the action made him feel. Her green eyes were sincere, and kind. “Tell me,” she insisted softly.

 _Well, I’ve already come this far,_ Mako thought _._ “We don’t have enough money to ante up for the championship pot. So we can’t compete in the tournament.”

Her eyebrows shot up. “What? That’s not fair! You’re a great team and you work hard!”

He exhaled angrily through his nose, looking down at his glass again. “Well, you know what they say: ‘life isn’t fair’.” He looked back up at her, blushing. “I’m sorry- I didn’t mean- I’m just frustrated.”

Asami waved a hand. “Of course you are. You have every right to be. What are you and your brother going to do, then?” 

Mako shrugged, trying to let go of some of his anger. “I’ll figure something out. I always do.”

Asami frowned again and opened her mouth, but before she could say anything the waiter slid up to the table. “Pardon me, Miss Sato.” He held out a tray and removed the lid to reveal some seriously mouthwatering food. “Your main course.” He set the tray on the table and left them to their food.

Mako blinked, tearing his eyes away from the tray. “Wait a minute- Sato? You’re not related to Hiroshi Sato, as in creator of the Satomobile, are you?”

Asami laughed a little and nodded. “He’s my dad, actually.”

Mako’s mouth dropped open. “No way.” He was on a date with Hiroshi Sato’s _daughter_. And he was complaining to her about his money troubles too! He felt like burying his face in his hands. 

She smiled. “It’s true.” She took a sip of her drink, and then stopped thoughtfully. “You wouldn’t want to meet him by any chance?”

“Meet the most successful captain of industry in all of Republic City?” Mako shot back, feeling almost giddy. “Yeah, I think I’ll take you up on that.” Hiroshi Sato’s rags-to-riches life was the kind that every kid on the streets knew about, almost the equivalent of a story to help them sleep at night. After all, if he could do it, maybe they could too. Where Bolin had looked up to Toza and probending, Mako had looked up to Hiroshi Sato: a man who had started out with nothing, and lost so much, and had still ended up on top of it all. 

“Great!” Asami began to cut into the meat on her plate. “How does tomorrow work for you?”

Mako eagerly began to dig into his own meal. Strange as it was to be in a place like this, he was really looking forward to the food. “I have some work to do in the morning, but I’m free in the afternoon.”

She smiled at him again, her eyes crinkling at the edges, and Mako felt himself blushing once more. “First date’s not even over and we have another one lined up already. Not bad,” she teased.

His blush deepened, but he responded quickly, feeling more at-ease by the second. It was hard not to, with her smile, honest interest, and attitude. “Well, I can be charming on occasion.”

She laughed at that, and Mako sat a little straighter, his confidence growing. He adopted the tone she had used earlier. “Well, Miss Sato, what do you like to do besides eat at fancy restaurants and run over innocent citizens?”

Asami chuckled again, and Mako marveled at how easy it was to talk with her. He’d known Bolin for pretty much his whole life, and even they had trouble communicating a lot. He knew that it was dangerous to be feeling this way so quickly. He’d learned a lot about human nature during his childhood, the least of which was that most people would hurt you in one way or another.

But as Asami talked about driving around the track at her home, sparring with her teachers, and learning how to take over her father’s company one day, he didn’t think about that. Her hands gestured to emphasize certain points, and her face lit up, while she talked, and when she asked him questions about his life again she was just as interested and curious. He didn’t think about the harsh truths he’d learned and experienced, as they talked and it grew darker outside and the waiters started to hint that they would very much like them to leave. He didn’t think about the nights he’d spent shivering in alleyways with Bolin curled tight against him for warmth, or the shady deals he’d been complicit in by working with the Triads.

He just thought about Asami.

And he kept thinking about her, even after their meal was done and she gave him a quick kiss, and she went off into the night in a long black satomobile. He thought about her as he walked home, as he went to bed that night he thought about her, and he went to sleep with a smile on his face.

~-~-~-~-~-~

 

Tenzin rubbed his eyes wearily. “This is not an issue we can continue to ignore,” he said for what felt like the thousandth time. “The Equalists are kidnapping citizens now. We have to face the oppression of our non-bender citizens.”

To his right, the Earth Kingdom Representative, Kenji, scoffed, gesturing with a big hand, the large rings on his fingers glinting in the light. “Our bending citizens are the ones facing danger here, Councilman Tenzin. These non-benders are getting huffy over things they can’t possibly do or have, and they are taking it out on the rest of the citizens.”

“These Equalists are acting wrongly, and they should be punished for it,” Tarrlok, the Northern Water Tribe Representative said, looking just as irritated as Tenzin felt, “but it’s foolish to dismiss the claims of our non-bender citizens.”

“No, Kenji is right,” added Aput, the Southern Water Tribe Representative. “These so-called issues of “oppression” is just _whining_ by those that wish to get everything they want without having to work for it.”

Before Tenzin could reply, Aki, the Fire Nation Representative, raised her eyebrows. “Is that so?” She asked coldly. “Need I remind the other council members that I am a non-bender? I find it interesting that you are so willing to dismiss myself and others like me so easily.”

Aput flushed, and leaned back a little in his seat. “No offense meant, councilwoman. You have worked very hard to get here, and you’re not out there in the streets, complaining about jobs and housing-”

“Indeed,” She said, and had she been a bender Tenzin was sure there would have been fire in her hands at that moment. “Instead I am in here arguing about basic rights that they _deserve_ \- such as job opportunities, or equal pay and housing options, while my fellow council members stuff their fingers in their ears like children and pretend that nothing is wrong.”

Tenzin fought a grin as Kenji and Aput puffed up angrily. “Now see here, you-” Kenji began, his thick mustache bristling, standing up and actually shaking his fist at her while Aki regarded him with distaste.

“Councilman Kenji!” Tenzin and Tarrlok reprimanded in unison, glancing at each other in slight surprise as they did so. Tarrlok went on smoothly. “There is no need to get angry, Councilman Kenji. While perhaps it could have been phrased more, er, _delicately_ , Councilwoman Aki is correct. We need to take action.” 

Tenzin frowned to himself. The council had been talking in circles for hours. Aki, normally very calm and quiet, and been growing more furious as the arguing progressed into the night, and he could not blame her. Even with a non-bender in their midst, Kenji and Aput were talking about non-benders as if they were second class citizens. Unfortunately, they weren’t the only ones that seemed to feel that way, judging by the turmoil in the city lately. Thankfully Tarrlok seemed to be siding with Tenzin and Aki. It was hard to tell with him sometimes; Tarrlok had been instrumental in pushing through legislation for things like building an orphanage, (complete with a library and a school, and very spacious rooms for the children) but there were also rumors about Tarrlok engaging with some less-than-reputable people in order to get where he was, and Tenzin frankly wouldn’t have been surprised if they were true. Tarrlok was a contradiction, and they agreed with each other just as often as they didn’t. This time he had been arguing alongside Tenzin for quite a while to even get the other two councilmen to admit that there was an issue at all. And now of course Kenji and Aput _were_ admitting to the issue- but they were making it about themselves instead.

Tenzin interjected before Kenji or Aput could respond. “Council members Tarrlok and Aki _are_ correct. We have to begin taking action. This city is on the cusp of revolt unless we do something.” Tenzin leaned forward a little, and hit his fist lightly against the table for emphasis. “We need to start making some decisions.”

Kenji sat back down, scowling. Aput muttered something that Tenzin didn’t catch, and really didn’t want to either. “I have a few ideas,” Tenzin went on. “For example, Lin Bei Fong wishes to begin teaching her non-bender officers chi-blocking. Firstly, however, Councilwoman Aki: do you have any suggestions? You understand this issue in a way that I cannot.”

Aki, still stone-faced and frowning, brushed back some of her silver hair from her face. “Several. To begin with, we need to give them more equality in the workplace. Many non-benders are without jobs and in poverty because benders are chosen for jobs over them time and time again.”

“What would you have us do?” Aput protested crossly, his thick eyebrows pulled down sharply over his dark eyes. The beads in his hair clinked as he gestured out the window toward the city. “There are many vital jobs that non-benders simply can’t do.”

Aki regarded him coolly. “Non benders may not be able to generate lightning at a power plant, but they can work as mechanics, managers, builders, cooks, CEOs, and more. We need to have a system that encourages employers to hire non-benders for the jobs that they can do, rather than simply hiring more benders. We need to create more jobs to try and decrease the poverty level. Most of the people living in poverty _are_ non-benders by the way.” She smiled, but it seemed more angry and threatening than anything else. “It’s true they can’t work hard for a better life, because half of them are working hard to just stay _alive_.”

Kenji shook his head, but didn’t say anything at Tenzin’s sharp look.

Aki clenched her fist, but went on as if she hadn’t noticed. “There is more. I would also suggest we talk with the President of the Non-Bender Party. If we can work with him to improve the lives of the non-benders, it will show the citizens that we are willing to help them, and that there is a better option than the Equalists. The NBP is already very popular, and President Nanuq has been wanting to meet with us for some time.”

Tenzin nodded. “All very good suggestions. I also had a thought, Councilwoman Aki.” She nodded at him to speak, and he went on. “Probending is very popular among the citizens, benders and non-benders alike. It would be good if we could find a way to expand probending to include non-benders more. It would be an excellent unifying point, and it would appeal to everyone.”

“Whatever would you suggest?” Aput demanded. “Probending is a vital part of this city- it is not just something you can change willy-nilly in order to make some people feel better.”

Tenzin mentally counted to three in his head, so that he didn’t airbend something into Aput’s face, like one of his children would have. “I would suggest incorporating chi-blocking into probending. We would have to work out the details, but this makes sure that every team would have to have a non-bender member, and it adds a new level of challenge to the game that citizens may find interesting.”

“Chi-blocking in probending?!” Kenji looked sickened, and furious. “That is preposterous!” 

“Why?” Aki asked, crossing her arms in irritation. “It’s no more dangerous than bending. In fact, it does less damage than a misplaced blast of fire to the face.” 

“Well- it’s-” Kenji blustered, turning red-faced again in anger. “It’s called pro- _bending_ , for spirit’s sake!”

“Names can be changed, if need be,” Tarrlok said evenly, the gavel standing on it’s head on the table, his fingers wrapped around the handle. “We need to discuss all of these excellent ideas in more detail before we vote on them. However, I have a suggestion that we could vote on now- a _real_ decision we can make in this moment.” He stood, the chair skidding loudly back a little behind him. “There is a very dangerous man running loose around the city. He is kidnapping citizens, and forcibly removing their bending, and who knows what else. Amon and the Equalists are threatening to tear this city apart. I move that we create a task force whose sole mission is to find Amon and bring him to justice.”

Aki blinked in surprise, and Tenzin stared at Tarrlok open-mouthed. “Absolutely not,” Tenzin said after a moment. “A movement that aggressive would simply strengthen the divide between benders and non-benders. We need to show non-bender citizens that we are on their side, and that we support them.”

Tarrlok arched an eyebrow at him in disappointment. “So you suggest we let this kidnapper just go about his business?”

“Not at all! Lin Bei Fong and her officers are more than up to the task-”

“Our esteemed chief of police and her officers have their hands full with other crime in the city. Between gangs like the Triads and wayward teenagers destroying half the city, they are far too busy to take on the Equalists and Amon the way it needs to be done.” Tarrlok looked the other council members in the eye as he spoke.

Aput and Kenji were nodding. “I’m inclined to go with your proposal, Councilman Tarrlok,” Aput said thoughtfully. “But who would head such a task force?”

Tarrlok smiled, and gave a slight bow. “It would be my honor and privilege to accept such a duty.”

“And this altruistic move has nothing to do with the fact that it would give you more power?” Aki asked in a low voice, furiously. “Councilman Tenzin is right; this will simply make the non-bender populace feel as though we are indeed persecuting them.”

Tarrlok put up his hands in a gesture of peace. “Councilwoman, all I am trying to do is help.” He looked at Tenzin, and then went on. “Think back. Forty-two years ago Republic City was threatened by another dangerous man: Yakone. Avatar Aang- your father – wasn’t afraid to deal with him head on.” 

Tenzin stood up quickly. “That was a completely different situation! And how _dare_ you compare yourself to my father?”

Tarrlok regarded him seriously. “Councilman Tenzin, I meant no disrespect. As you said yourself, we need to take action. Amon will not stop with the triads. Soon he will come for all of us benders. Our friends, our families, our children.” He looked at the other representatives. “Vote for this task force and I will stop Amon before it is too late. All in favor?” He raised his hand.

Kenji immediately raised his hand, and Aput followed a moment later. _Damn,_ Tenzin thought, exchanging an uneasy glance with Aki.

“Majority,” Tarrlok said with a smile, slamming down the gavel. “Motion passes. Thank you, council members. I promise to do everything in my power to bring Amon to justice.”

 

~-~-~-~-~-~

 

Korra blew some hair out of her face and then closed her eyes, letting out another breath, this time to focus. She opened them and moved slowly in a circle, her arms extended outward, her hands open. Tenzin’s voice rang in her head. _Airbending isn’t like firebending, earthbending, or even waterbending. It’s not about brute force. It is all about redirecting your energy- and your opponent’s if need be._

She inhaled and exhaled slowly again, spinning smoothly and turning her wrists as if she were pushing out a blast of air. She fought the immediate disappointment that filled her when that didn’t happen. She hadn’t expected it to, but every time she couldn’t airbend she still ended up disappointed in herself. Instead she moved swiftly into another position, breathing slowly out once more.

Across the way, she saw her mom and Pema chatting, a basket of landry in her mom’s arms. Pema looked very windswept and her mom was giggling at whatever she was saying- Korra assumed it was about one of the kids airbending into her face again.

On the windowsill next to her Korra had set a radio. The music helped to keep her relaxed. These days, if she spent too long without something to do, she would invariably begin to think about- 

She shook her head quickly to get rid of those thoughts. _No. I’m not going to think about that. I’m just going to keep practicing._ The song changed to something she vaguely recognized, and she smiled when it hit her, some of the tension draining out of her shoulders. She mouthed along to the words as she moved.

_Nothin’ but blue skies, do I-_

Static cut in the radio, and Korra stopped, frowning. Before she could step forward to fix the radio (which usually meant her hitting the top of it a few times), the static dissipated and a cool, commanding, _terrifying_ voice came out of it.

_“Good evening, my fellow Equalists. This is Amon.”_

Korra froze. A sudden chill went down her spine and all the other noise on the island seemed to quiet as Amon spoke.

_“As you may have heard, the Republic City Council has voted to make me public enemy number one, proving once again that the bending oppressors of this city will stop at nothing to quash our revolution.”_

Korra couldn’t breathe. Everything else seemed to go out of focus until he wasn’t just on the radio. He was whispering in her ear.

_“But we cannot be stopped. Our numbers grow stronger by the day. You no longer have to live in fear.”_

His cool hands were on her neck, on her forehead, tilting her head back, so that she was staring into his dark eyes as his hand reached for her.

_“The time has come for benders to experience fear.”_

His fingers touched her face and there was _nothing_ , nothing else but his words and his dark, dark eyes-

_“Once I take away your bending, you will be **nothing**.”_

She fought to move, to scream, to breathe, but no sound came out and all she could hear was his voice and her heart pounding louder and louder and louder-

And finally she screamed.

It was her scream that woke her up. She jolted upright, chest heaving, her breath coming in sharp pants.

Naga whined a little, and Korra noticed that she was standing next to her. Naga pressed her wet nose to the side of Korra’s head and _huffed_ a little.

She pressed a hand to her sweaty forehead, her other winding around Naga’s neck. “I’m fine,” she whispered. _Just another dream,_ she thought with relief. “Get it together, Korra,” she muttered to herself. Naga licked her shoulder comfortingly.

She heard hurried footsteps running in the hall outside, and tensed.

“Korra?” Her mom called, as her dad slid the door open forcefully. “What is it, Kor?” He asked, his eyes darting around the room looking for a possible attacker.

Korra let out a heavy breath. She felt cold now that her heart had slowed down. “It’s nothing. I’m sorry I woke you guys.”

Her parents exchanged slightly worried looks, and Korra looked away. _Great. Now I’m worrying them. Just another way I’m messing up._ “Seriously, I’m fine.” She sat up straighter, swinging her legs off of the bed so that she was facing them.

More hurried footsteps sounded in the hall. “Is everything all right?” Tenzin called, and Korra heard him stop outside the door. Senna leaned out the doorway. “It’s fine Tenzin. Sorry to wake you.”

Tenzin assured her after a pause that it was no problem, and then left.

Korra stared at her knees as her mom slid the door closed and both of her parents stepped closer.

“Are you sure you’re all right?” Senna asked, coming and sitting next to her on the bed, while Tonraq did the same on Korra’s other side.

Korra nodded, smiling a little. “I’m fine. Really. Just…” She hesitated. “Just a bad dream. No big deal.”

Tonraq gave her a sideways hug. “Did you guys loose a probending match?” He teased, though he still looked concerned. 

Korra latched onto this opportunity. “Yeah, that was it, actually. We uh, lost, and it was my fault. Oh, and I, um, drowned!” She invented wildly, trying to sound convincing.

Her parents exchanged looks again. Sometimes she swore they could actually communicate that way.

“If you’re sure, Korra,” Senna said slowly, giving her a look that meant she hadn’t bought her story for a second.

“Yep! Very sure!” Korra grinned at them, though she still felt shaky from the aftermath of her dream. “Just go back to bed. I’m fine!” 

“Kor,” Tonraq said quietly, and Korra met his eyes. “You know you can talk with us about anything, don’t you?”

Korra nodded, leaning forward and giving him a hug so that she didn’t have to look at him. “I know.”

Senna leaned in from behind, hugging them both, and Korra closed her eyes for a moment, remembering being a child, and them comforting her like this after a nightmare. She’d always told them about the nightmares then, but she couldn’t now.

After a moment they stood up, Senna kissed her on the forehead, and they went back to bed.

Korra stared after them, scratching Naga’s shoulder absently. She knew that she could talk to them. She knew that, but…

Abruptly she stood up, clenching her fists. _No_. She couldn’t be afraid. She was the Avatar.

She stood in the center of her room, and took one of her airbending practice stances. She would just have to practice until she fell asleep, and then she would practice more tomorrow. She was done showing weakness. She was done failing. She would practice and she would get it right.

She was fine.

 

~-~-~-~-~-~-~

 

Mako stared at the rows of assembly lines in awe.

Row after row of satomobiles were being assembled before his eyes, glinting in the bright sunlight streaming through the huge open door. 

Next to him, Asami and her father, Hiroshi Sato, stood side-by-side, smiling. Hiroshi was slightly shorter than Mako, with a rounded stomach, and greying black hair and moustache. He wore a very expensive-looking suit, a pocket watch chain disappearing into the jacket. “So!” He said jovially, “What do you think of my little operation here?”

“This is amazing, Mr. Sato,” Mako said, turning and gesturing at the assembly lines.

Hiroshi Sato chuckled a little. “Please, call me Hiroshi. So, I understand you’re dirt poor.”

Mako choked a little, feeling his face getting hot, while Asami shot her dad a look. “Uh, well…”

“Young man, it is nothing to be ashamed of.” Hiroshi assured him, still grinning. Mako blinked in surprise. “Why, I came from a very poor family myself. When I was your age, I was a mere shoe-shiner, and all I had to my name was an idea: the Satomobile.” He gestured at the factory around them, and then he regarded Mako more seriously. “I was lucky enough to meet someone who believed in my idea. He gave me the money I needed to get started, and I built my empire from that selfless loan!”

Asami rolled her eyes a little, shaking her head. “Dad, quit bragging and tell Mako the good news!”

Mako glanced at Asami in confusion and she smiled, the very sunlight seeming to frame her. He felt his face turning red and quickly looked at her father instead. “What good news?” 

“Well,” Hiroshi began, putting a hand on his shoulder. “Asami passionately told me about your pro-bending team’s hard-earned success, and your current-” he lowered his voice a little “-financial stumbling block. Now, I would hate to see your team loose your shot at the championship just because you’re short a few yuans. So, I’ve decided to sponsor your team!”

Mako gaped at him. “Are you serious?!”

Asami nodded, smiling widely. “He’s very serious. My dad’s going to cover your ante for the championship pot!” 

“That- that is good news!” Mako ran a hand through his hair. “I- wow. Thank you so much!”

“Just one condition,” Hiroshi said seriously, raising a finger for emphasis. “You have to wear the Future Industries logo on your uniforms." 

Mako laughed unbelievingly. “I’ll tattoo it on my chest if you want me to, sir!” He stepped forward and shook Hiroshi’s hand vigorously. “Thank you. Thank you both so much.”

He turned to Asami, and held out his hand to her. She knocked it aside and hugged him tight.

She was warm. And soft. And smelled _really_ good. She was also surprisingly strong, if her grip on him was any indication. He hugged her back, and was pleasantly surprised at how well their bodies seemed to fit together. He could have gone on hugging her for quite some time, but then Hiroshi cleared his throat and they jumped apart, Mako feeling as though his face was quite literally on fire.

“Ahem. I, uh,” he coughed, and straightened, looking Hiroshi in the eye. “I promise that we will make the most of this opportunity.”

“I’ll take your word for it,” Hiroshi said, smiling, clapping him on the back. They started walking out of the factory, Hiroshi once again talking about how he built his company from the ground up, and Mako exchanged a look with Asami- who was also a little red-faced. She laughed silently, and he smiled back.

Things were finally looking up. 

~-~-~-~-~-~-~

 

Korra sat on the steps leading to the main building on Air Temple Island. Naga was lying on the steps beside her, and Korra was scratching behind her ears. In the bright sunshine, with Naga by her side, it was easy to forget about the previous night. 

A faint sound came to her and she paused. Someone was whistling a cheerful tune. She looked up to see Bolin striding toward her with something of a spring in his step, Pabu curled around his shoulders. He was carrying some packages in one hand, and when he saw that she was looking immediately put his hand behind his back. “Hello fellow teammate!” he called, waving with his other hand.

Korra smiled a little, waving back as he stepped closer. “Hey, Bolin.”

He stopped just a few feet in front of her, smiling as always. “Missed you at practice these week,” he said casually, both hands behind his back now.

Korra looked at Naga, petting her again, keeping her voice just as casual. “Yeah, sorry about that. Airbending practice.”

Bolin shrugged. “Nah, it’s okay. We’re probably out of the tournament anyways, unless some money miraculously drops out of the sky by tomorrow.” He faltered for a moment, looking a little downcast, but then he recovered. “Aaaaanyways, I came here to give you these!” He held out the objects: a rose and a small bag with a cupcake inside.

Korra stared at the packages for a moment, caught off guard. Mostly just her parents and Katara had ever given her presents before, and she felt warmer, and somehow lighter, at the sight of these gifts.

“Wow, Bolin!” she said, taking them carefully. “Thank you!” She looked up at him and smiled as his own grin grew wider. Pabu climbed off of his shoulder and walked up to Naga, chattering excitedly at her. “What are these for?”

He leaned back on his heels, tapping his chin with a finger as if he were pondering her question. “Now what was it again, I forget…” He began teasingly. “Oh yeah! Saving me from Amon!” 

Korra froze, but recovered quickly. “Oh, that?” She shrugged, setting the cupcake down on the step on her right, but still holding the rose, twisting it a little in her hand. “That was no big deal.” 

Bolin made an incredulous noise in his throat. “No big- are you kidding me? I was completely scared when he was coming at me with his creepy mask, all like-” Bolin deepened his voice and swung out his arms stiffly in a mockery of Amon -  “‘ _I will take away your bending foreveeeer’_. I mean, that was really scary!” He straightened, and looked at her seriously, earnestly. “I still can’t sleep well,” he admitted.

 _Neither can I,_ Korra thought, looking down at the rose in her hands. “Mhmm.”

“Korra.” She looked up at him. He was frowning, looking at her in concern, his bright green eyes wide. “Are you okay?”

She smiled. “I’m fine.” _I’m fine I’m fine I’m fine._

His eyebrows furrowed. “Are you sure? You look – well, great,” he said, ducking his head down a little, his cheeks a little flushed. “But you also look tired.”

Korra shrugged. “I’ve been training a lot, remember? That’s why I couldn’t go to practice.”

“Right, right.” Bolin put his hands in his pockets, and walked the rest of the way over to the steps, spinning a little on his heel and sitting next to her, the cupcake between them. “I’ve missed having lunch with you,” he said after a moment, somewhat quietly, and Korra felt as though a fist had clenched around her heart. She’d missed having lunch with him too.

“Yeah, Bo. Me too.” She tried to brighten. “I’ll make sure I come to practice this week, I promise.”

He smiled, but then looked at her seriously. “Korra…you know that if something is bothering you, you can tell me, right? Next to Pabu,” he gestured to the ferret, who looked back at him and chattered as if responding, “you’re my best friend, and I want to be there for you.”

Korra made herself nod, and give a slight smile. “I know, Bolin.” _I can’t. I have to be strong. I am the Avatar, and I can’t show any weakness._

His eyebrows furrowed again, but then he brightened suddenly. “Hey, are you busy right now? I have an idea.” He got to his feet, grinning again.

“Um,” Korra said, a little taken aback by his sudden mood change, “No, I’m not doing anything. What did you have in mind?”

His grin, if possible, grew wider. “It’s a surpriiiiiseee,” he sang. “Can you come into the city with me?”

Korra hesitated. She knew that she should practice more. But she looked at Bolin’s hopeful face, and the rose in her hand, and nodded decisively. “Yeah. Yeah, I can. Just let me let my parents know and put these inside, and we can head out.” She stood up as well, picking up the cupcake bag and heading inside. 

After letting her parents and Tenzin know where she was going, and reluctantly informing two White Lotus guards that would be accompanying her, they were on their way.

Korra watched as they approached the city from the ferry, Bolin talking cheerfully at her side. When she’d first come here, she had been so hopeful, so positive that she could get it right. And now…

 _No._ She _would_ get it right. She had to.

Bolin caught her eye, looking concerned, and she tried to smooth her expression, to smile back at him. He didn’t look convinced, but he went on with what he was saying.

She was grateful that he was there, grateful that she had such a good friend. Having him there with her, even if it was only for a few hours, even if she never told him about her thoughts in turmoil, made her feel better, even if only a little.

They passed the statue of Avatar Aang, but this time Korra refused to look at it, though she could feel his endless gaze judging her as they went.

 


	7. For the Night is Dark and Full of Terrors Pt. II

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaaaaaand here is Part II!
> 
> I can't make any promises as to when I will be able to update this story, as I would likely just break that promise. However, please be assured that I'm not giving up on this, and I will be working hard on it.

 

* * *

Chapter Seven 

For the Night is Dark and Full of Terrors: Part II 

The White Lotus guards mostly hung back, as usual. Every once in a while Howl would sort of chuckle at something Bolin said, but that was all the interaction they would have. Truthfully, it was pretty easy to forget that they were there. Naga and Pabu would pick a side of the ferry and stare out at the water, the wind blowing back Naga's ears a little, watching the waves (and the fish, most likely). Meanwhile, Bolin talked cheerfully about things she'd missed during the week. He'd been practicing a new probending move that he wanted to show her, Toza damn-near threw out his back and had to go see a waterbender healer to get it looked at, and other small details, such as the fact that they were repainting the stadium in honor of the tournament and so on.

Bolin was just so…genuinely happy. Korra had met cheerful people before, but she'd never known anyone who had Bolin's endless optimism. She had really missed him, and Mako, and she couldn't believe how much she was truly interested in discussing such small details. Bolin and Mako, and the stadium and all of those other things were a part of her life now, and she loved hearing about them.

Once they reached the opposite shore, Korra and Bolin climbed on Naga, Bolin actually sitting in front of her since he was the only one who knew where they were going. Naga had really taken a liking to Bolin, and didn't put up a fuss the way she had with others who had tried to ride her. The White Lotus guards could have fit on her back as well (if somewhat tightly), but opted to walk behind them instead. They couldn't move too fast on Naga anyway in the crowded streets, so they would be able to keep up just fine.

As usual, people stared at her as they walked through the crowd. Pabu had nestled on her shoulders, and the warmth of his small body was oddly comforting in the face of the people watching her. Perhaps she was imagining it, but they seemed…angry. It felt like there were more eyes on her than ever, and they were all judging her with their whispers and glances. They were right to judge her, of course. She'd really messed up with the protester before, and Avatar Aang surely would have figured out a way to solve all of their problems by now.

Thinking about the protester was confusing. She'd apologized, and she hadn't expected him to fall to his knees and thank her or anything, but she's still hoped that maybe…maybe he would look at her with something besides fear and anger. She'd purchased a megaphone with her own money and left it at his usual spot, but she hadn't been back to see if he was using it. Korra felt strange buying him a new megaphone. On the one hand, she knew now that it had been wrong of her to break it, to intimidate him the way she had, but he was also telling everyone how terrible she was, and telling them to join the Equalists when the Equalists were kidnapping people and-

"Korra?"

She jerked a little, surprised. "What?"

"Sorry," Bolin said, glancing back at her as best as he could. "Didn't mean to startle you. You're just sorta quiet. I know the Great Pabu Bath Time Wars aren't that exciting, though, so I get it."

Korra chuckled. "No, they're great." She scratched Pabu's head as if to assure him. "I was just thinking about other things, I guess. Sorry."

Bolin shrugged. "It's okay." He hesitated for a second, and she wondered if he was going to ask how she was feeling again. She was fine. Just fine. After a moment, however, he went on happily: "We're almost there, though!" He jerked his chin down the street. "It's just around that corner there. Close your eyes!"

Korra rolled her eyes instead. "Bo, come on-"

"It's a surpriiiiiseeee," he sang again, and Korra complied with a slight huff, smiling a little.

For a minute, all she focused on was the feel of Naga moving beneath her, the sounds of the city. She reached forward and wrapped her arms around Bolin's stomach, feeling him jump a little in surprise at her touch.

"Sorry," she said, careful to still keep her eyes closed. "I just didn't want to slide off if we started running all of a sudden."

"I- It's okay," Bolin said, his voice sounding a little higher than normal. He cleared his throat. "I mean, yeah, don't want you to fall off!" He laughed, his voice more evenly pitched, but it still had a nervous edge to it.

 _Weirdo._ She hadn't meant to startle him  _that_  badly. She thought she heard Howl laugh behind her, and shook her head. If Bolin was easily startled, then she could have some fun with him by jumping out from behind doorways. She grinned to herself at the thought, feeling more relaxed than she had in a while.

Naga stopped suddenly. "We're here!" Bolin said. "Wait. That's weird."

"What?" Korra said, fighting the urge to open her eyes.

"Well…hold on a sec. I have to check something." She felt him slide off of Naga's back. "Wait right here! And don't open your eyes yet!" She heard him jog a few feet, and the low sound of his voice as he spoke with someone. Korra strained her ears, but couldn't make out what either of them were saying.

"Thank you!" She heard Bolin exclaim loudly as he jogged back toward her. "Seriously, man- thank you so much!"

"Its no problem," The other man called, "It's an honor, actually!"

Bolin thanked him again, and she heard him running back toward her.

Korra blew out some air impatiently as he approached. "I swear, Bo, if you're just leading me somewhere to show me a new trick of Pabu's or something-"

He laughed again, and then said in a wounded tone: "Pabu and I are hurt that you think so little of his skills!"

Korra snorted and shook her head, jostling Pabu a little from his place around her neck and shoulders. He hopped off of her, presumably to take his place on Bolin's shoulders again.

"In any case," Bolin said, sounding nervous once more. "You can open your eyes."

Korra did, staring a little at the large building in front of her. It looked somewhat similar to the probending arena, though it was smaller. It had a dome roof, large front doors, and steps leading up to them. It also looked very empty, aside from an old man standing near the doors.

"Erm," She said, not wanting to hurt Bolin's feelings. "It's a nice building, Bo."

He laughed, not at all bothered by her confusion. "It's an ice-skating rink," he said, and she turned a little on Naga to look at him. He rocked back on his heels, ducking his head. "I thought…maybe you were homesick, and this is the closest I could get to the South Pole…"

For a moment, all she could do was stare. She felt warmth spread through her, her chest strangely (and somehow pleasantly) tight. Then, in one smooth motion, Korra slid off of Naga's back and gave Bolin a hug. "Thank you," she said sincerely. "This is one of the nicest things anyone has ever done for me."

After a moment, he hugged her back. "Of course," He said quietly. "It's no problem."

She pulled back, and he grinned at her, his round cheeks a little red. "Come on! Let's get started!"

They raced up the steps, though Korra stopped short near the doors, in front of the old man waiting there. He looked like he was from one of the water tribes, like her, and he smiled as they approached, and bowed. "It's an honor, Avatar Korra," He said.

Korra bowed back. He wasn't like the people whispering on the streets, or the angry protestors in the park. He looked genuinely happy to meet her, and it was a nice change from recent weeks. "Do you own this place, sir?"

"Call me Hamoh," He said. "And I do. I own it, and still do most of the ice myself, though my son has been helping out more now that he's older. As I said, it is an absolute honor to have you and Bolin here. My whole family loves probending, and your team is our favorite. We're looking forward to seeing you compete at the tournament soon!"

"Oh! Thank you!" Korra tried not to sound too awkward, and decided not to tell him about the likelihood of them not being in the tournament.

"Normally we would be closed today," He went on, oblivious, "But I could make an exception for you two. It's no trouble at all," he went on when she opened her mouth, "and don't you think about paying me either."

"Wait, what?" Bolin said, surprised. "You're letting us in when you're closed! We should pay you."

Hamoh shook his head. "No, I insist." He looked at Bolin seriously. "It's more than just enjoying your team. I've always believed that this place should be open to everyone, no matter their financial standing. I'd seen you and your brother around before you got into probending. I know you don't have much, and I'm happy to help however I can."

"Oh." Bolin's face was a little red again, and he looked away from the old man. "Um, thank you. That- that's real nice of you." He smiled, looking slightly more at ease, and after thanking Hamoh one more time they walked inside.

The rink was similar to the pro-bending arena on the inside as well. The seats rose up around the ice on the bottom rather like a valley, though there were not nearly as many seats. There was a short wall around the ice, which was bigger than the platform they stood on for probending, but not larger than the water that surrounded it.

Truthfully, she'd never gone ice-skating before. There hadn't exactly been a place for it in the White Lotus compound, but she had always wanted to try it. She told Bolin as much, and though he was a little surprised that she had never done it before, he was also more than happy at the prospect of teaching her, like with the pro-bending and the dancing.

It was colder inside than she expected, though still not enough to bother her. Bolin rubbed his arms a little, but didn't comment on the temperature. They sat down near the bottom by the ice, and Hamoh handed them their skates. They were rather like boots, with long laces that she would need to tie very tightly, their colors faded brown and black respectively. The blades themselves looked freshly polished, however.

Korra attempted to walk over to the ice, wobbling on her skates. She had to lift her knee higher in order to stay upright, rather like marching.

Bolin was already on the other side of the wall. He grinned, his eyes bright and his cheeks red from the cold, and held his hand out to her. "Come on," he said.

She grasped his hand, using it to straighten herself a little. His hand was large and warm around hers, and it helped guide her through the gate and out onto the ice. As soon as her feet touched the slick surface, she slid, struggling to keep her balance, and her other hand reached out wildly to grab his free one.

"Whoa!" Bolin said, steadying her. He chuckled, but not like he was laughing  _at_  her, exactly. "Careful, there! Bend your knees a little, and keep your feet a little more apart- that's it," he added as she adjusted her position. "Now," he went on, "You're gonna kinda push yourself forward with the front part of your skates-" he kicked the ice with the blade for emphasis – "and you're just going to keep moving like it's all one smooth motion. Keep your knees a little bent, and lean forward a little. It'll feel like you wanna lean backward, but that'll make you fall." He held onto her hands more tightly for a moment as she slid again. It felt like the ground was slipping beneath her feet, rather than the other way around.

"Right, right," Korra said, embarrassed, letting go of his hands and hobbling over toward the wall, which she clutched at to stay upright.

He skated easily over to her. "You probably will fall at least once," he cautioned. "It's better to know that going in. But once you do it's easier to figure out how to avoid it!"

She nodded determinedly, adjusting herself so that she was facing more forward, and could to try glide alongside the wall.

"Good!" He said, grinning. "Staying at the wall at first is a good idea. Just try to follow me in a circle for now." With that, he turned around and took off.

Even though it was clear he was going slowly, he still stayed pretty far ahead of her as she half walked half skated alongside the wall. Korra moved stiffly, jerkily, one hand always hovering above the wall as she tried to go faster, and to go longer without having to grab at the wall.

She fell a few minutes later, and then again a few minutes after that. The first time she fell backwards, her feet literally slipping out from under her, and landed hard on her back, the wind knocked out of her. Bolin helped her up, a little concerned, but she waved him off, more determined than ever. She was a waterbender, dammit. She would  _not_  be foiled by ice.

The second time she fell, she very nearly caught herself, and landed on her knees instead, the water soaking through her trousers and leaving her with two round wet spots on her knees.

Bolin was right; after falling, it did get easier. After a few more minutes, she was able to cut across the corners of the ice, and not long after that she did a complete circle without having to grab the wall once.

At that, Bolin cheered for her, clapping as if she had done an impressive probending move. She smiled, feeling as though her heart was rising in her chest, her whole body getting lighter. With every glided step she felt as though she left a weight behind; her nightmares, Amon, her failure to airbend, her failure to help everyone, her weaknesses compared to Avatar Aang, everything.

"You're doing great, Korra!" Bolin cheered, circling around her.

Korra grinned at him, striking a pose. "What can I say? I'm a natural!"

He laughed. "You are!" He stopped next to her. There were cold spots of pink on his cheeks, though he was breathing hard and sweating a little. His black hair was messier than usual, and he ran a hand through it absently.

Korra was sweating as well; ice skating was harder than it looked, and she wasn't even doing anything other than going in a circle. She wiped sweat from her own forehead and smiled at him. She couldn't believe that he'd done something like this for her.

At her smile, Bolin went absolutely still, staring at her. His shoulders moved more slowly as his breathing evened out, and something about the way he was looking at her made her stop dead, her breath caught in her throat. He looked at her a lot, but she'd never seen him look at her like that before. She felt very hot, all of a sudden, her mouth dry.

"Bo?" She asked softly.

He opened his mouth like he was going to say something, but then he closed it, smiled at her, and skated around her to the other end of the ice. "What do you say to a race?" He called. "Think your natural abilities are enough to take me on?"

Korra blinked and then shook herself, sliding up next to him. "Oh hell yes!" She met his cocky grin with one of her own. "You're going to be eating my ice!"

His grin grew wider. "We'll see about that!"

With that, they were off, and the rest of the day passed with laughter, the dreams, Amon, her shortcomings, and even the strange look Bolin had given her, far from her mind.

~-~-~-~-~-~-~

When she arrived back on Air Temple Island in the late afternoon, someone was waiting there for her.

She'd dropped Bolin off at his place, thanking him again for the amazing day. Her journey back to Air Temple Island had been quiet (the White Lotus guards standing silently behind her as usual), with none of the thoughts that had been plaguing her on her mind.

When Korra walked up toward the main compound, she wasn't surprised to see someone there. People visited the island often, so it was hardly unusual. What did surprise her was when the old woman bowed at her and said: "Avatar Korra? I've been waiting for you."

"Oh?" Korra put a hand on Naga's side, gently rubbing at her shoulder. Naga gave a rumbling sound that seemed to be her approval at the motion.

"Er, yes," the woman said. She had short grey hair and glasses, and seemed somewhat intimidated by Naga. She scooted back a little, and then went on. "I am a page for the council. I have been sent by Councilman Tarrlok to give you an invitation to a gala being hosted in your honor tonight." She held out a piece of paper adorned with fancy, flowing, script.

"Really?" Korra said, taking the paper and reading it quickly.  _Seems kind of short notice. Why didn't I hear about this before?_

"Yes, all of Republic City's biggest movers and shakers will be there," the Page went on. "The Councilman humbly requests your presence." She bowed again, and left.

Korra frowned at the invitation.  _A gala in my honor? Maybe not everyone in the city hates me after all…and besides, I should meet the other members of the council, plus these 'movers and shakers'._

She'd had a long day, but the night was young yet, after all.

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

"Wow," Korra said as she walked into City Hall. There were bright lights everywhere, rows of tables covered in food, a dance floor, and banners with her picture on them. It was the first time she'd seen anything like that just for her. "I can't believe all of this is for me," she went on quietly, a slight lump in her throat.

Her mom squeezed her shoulders and smiled, while her dad let out a low whistle. "And you used to think your birthday parties were nice," he teased.

"Yes, this is all lovely," Tenzin said shortly, "But I'm not sure what Tarrlok is plotting. Keep your guard up. It's not like him to throw a party just for the fun of it."

"Oh. Okay." Korra's shoulders slumped a little.

"This is still an amazing gala, Korra, and I'm sure everyone is very happy that you're here," Senna said quickly, shooting Tenzin a glare while Pema elbowed him in the stomach.

"Yes, yes of course-" Tenzin began, and then he stopped in horror, staring off somewhere in the distance. "Meelo, no! That's not a toilet!" Him and Pema dashed off in the direction of their youngest child, looking mortified.

Korra muffled her laughter behind her hand. "Mom, dad, I'm going to walk around a bit. I'll see you guys around, okay?"

"We'll be at the food tables," her dad said cheerfully. "Have fun, Kor!"

They walked toward the food, playfully nudging and joking with each other while they went. Korra watched them go with a smile. It was kind of nice to see her parents dressed up and relaxed. Her mom had let her hair out of its normal braids, so it was hanging in loose waves around her head, though she had opted to put the front part in long beads as Korra always did. In fact, their dresses were somewhat similar as well, though Senna had a white shawl to go with hers. The dresses were rather old, and of the traditional water tribe style; long, dark blue, with a white belt, collar, and trim. Her father was dressed in a fairly traditional style as well, with long dark blue shirt lined with white, and a white sash tied around his waist. His pants were dark blue as well, and tucked into his normal boots. The three of them looked somewhat out of place next to all of the modern fashion of the city, but Korra didn't care.

She wandered through the crowd, keeping an eye out for a familiar face, or perhaps the councilman that had invited her in the first place.

"Avatar Korra!" A voice called out to her. She turned around to see a man who looked to be in his lat twenties or early thirties walking toward her. He looked like he was from one of the water tribes, and was wearing a more traditional outfit like her father, though his looked considerably newer. He wore his hair in a ponytail, and had a small goatee. He stopped in front of her, smiling warmly, offering his hand to shake. "My name is Nanuq. I'm honored to meet you."

"Thank you," Korra said, frowning as she tried to remember where she had heard his name before.

As if sensing her thoughts, he went on. "I run the Non-Bender Party, or the NBP. I've been wanting to meet you for a while now."

"Oh! Yes!" Korra said, hitting her fist in her hand as she remembered. "Tenzin mentioned you a few times. It's nice to meet you as well." Korra hesitated. "Um. This might sound weird, but I just wanted to say that I really want to help you guys out. I'm- I'm still learning about all the stuff non-benders are facing, and…it's really messed up. So I want to help you in any way that I can."

His smile grew wider. "I'm really glad to hear that, Avatar Korra. I'm sure there's a lot you can help out with, but I've also got a bit of an event like this planned in the future. Maybe you could make an appearance at that and help out a little? It would be greatly appreciated."

"Sure!" Korra said eagerly.  _Finally_ , something she could actually do. "I- I would be honored!"

He chuckled, looking pleased. "Excellent. We can work out the details later." He gestured at her outfit. "You are from the Southern Water Tribe, correct? I'm from there as well."

"Really?" Korra asked in surprise. "What is it like?" She went on without thinking.

He looked at her in confusion. "I thought you were from the South Pole?"

 _Dammit._ She tried to cover quickly. "Oh. Yeah. Um. I am, I just…I spent a lot of time training with the White Lotus, so I, uh, never got to see much of it outside of the compound, actually." Though the story of the White Lotus was technically public now – and Tenzin had even mentioned there being something about it in the papers around when she first arrived – most people still didn't know about it all, and she wanted to keep it that way.

His eyebrows furrowed a little. "Is that so? That seems strange-"

"No, not really!" Korra said hurriedly. "It's just- you know, how the Avatar is trained!"

"I suppose so," Nanuq said slowly. He went on again after a moment. "Well, in any case, I heard that you tamed a Polar Bear Dog! Magnificent creatures. I would love to see yours sometime, if you wouldn't mind."

Korra relaxed a little, smiling. "That would be great! Naga loves to meet new people."

"I look forward to it." His eyes looked beyond her. "Sorry, someone is calling for me- as I said, it was wonderful to meet you, Avatar Korra." He bowed. "I also look forward to getting to know you, and working with you."

"You, too," Korra said, bowing as well and smiling as he walked around her. A group of people waved him over happily, raising glasses to him.

Korra wandered over to the food tables, where she was delighted to see that there were many water tribe dishes.  _Oooh, Giant Sea Crab! I haven't had that in ages!_  She grabbed a plate and began loading up. There hadn't been time for dinner before, and with ice skating most of the day, she was pretty hungry. She also scooped herself a glass of a red drink in a bowl. She wasn't sure what it was, but it was sweet and fruity, and she enjoyed it immensely. Her parents were farther down the table, samping some stewed sea prunes and seaweed bread. They waved at her, looking equally delighted at the sight of food from home. They tried to occasionally make food from home on Air Temple Island, but a number of the ingredients were far harder to come by in Republic City.

Korra found a small table somewhat out of the way and sat down with her spoils. While she ate, a few people came up to say hello to her. Korra tried to keep track of all of the names and faces, but after a while they all started to blend together. She was very aware of the fact that there was likely food around her mouth, and her hands felt slick from the crab. She surreptitiously wiped her hands on the tablecloth, and quickly located a napkin to wipe her mouth.

A shadow loomed over her from behind, and she froze. "I saw that," A deep voice said, and she whirled around, blurting: "I'm sorry!"

She stopped short at the sight of another fellow water tribe person. He looked younger than Tenzin, but maybe just a little older than her father. His hair was long down his back in a ponytail. He wore a more modern-looking suit, with some elements of traditional water tribe dress mixed in. He looked confused at her words. "Sorry for what?" He asked. "I was just saying that I saw you were enjoying the table of water tribe cuisine."

"Oh. Heh. Nevermind," Korra said sheepishly, standing up. "It's er, nice to meet you, Mr…?"

The man gave a low bow. "I am councilman Tarrlok. I am very honored to meet you at last, Avatar Korra."

"Oh!" Korra bowed a little back, and then extended her hand. "It's a great party you have going here. Thank you for inviting me. And, er, throwing it for me."

He smiled. "No, thank  _you_. It is an honor for you to be here." Korra wondered if she should start keeping track of the number of times people said that. Councilman

Tarrlok went on, "As I said, it is nice that you are enjoying the water tribe cuisine. I don't get to sample it myself often enough."

"It's excellent," Korra said honestly. "I saw that you have a table for every nation. That's very welcoming of you as well. I'm looking forward to trying a little of everything."

He looked at her solemnly. "Yes, I heard that you haven't had a chance to experience much of the world yet." He leaned in a little toward her and lowered his voice. "What the White Lotus did to you and your family was criminal. I hope that I am able to help in any way I can so that they get the punishment they deserve."

"Oh. Yeah. Thank you." Korra looked away for a moment, and then quickly changed the subject. "Um. Soooo…how long have you been on the council?"

"This is my second term," Tarrlok replied, snagging a drink off of a tray of a passing waiter.

"Oh," Korra said. "That's, um, nice."

Tarrlok rubbed his thumb along the glass. "Avatar Korra," he said, "I'm going to go out on a limb here and assume that you don't like, and aren't very good at, small talk." Before she could reply he raised a hand. "And I mean no offense by that, because truthfully I feel the same way." He smiled again, but it was a different smile, somehow. "Let's talk business."

"All right," Korra said slowly, her eyes scanning the room, spotting Tenzin looking in their direction. He was frowning, but he had his hands full with Meelo.

"Avatar Korra," Tarrlok went on, and Korra had the impression that he had rehearsed this speech many times, "I heard about you witnessing Amon's horrific actions first hand. I'm sure it was a terrible ordeal, and I want to do my best to keep others from suffering in the same manner. That's why the council has voted to put me at the head of a task force specifically designed to capture Amon."

"Really?" Korra asked, surprised. She took a sip of her drink. Had the whole council voted for that? That didn't sound like Tenzin. Then again, getting Amon off the streets was a good idea.

"Yes indeed," he nodded. "And I wanted to talk with you about this, because I believe that we could use your help. If you were to work with me on the task force, I'm sure we could capture Amon in no time!"

Korra's hand tightened around her glass. She felt as though her insides had turned to ice, and all of a sudden it was hard to breathe.

_Once I take away your bending, you will be **nothing**._

Korra closed her eyes for a moment and let out a slow breath. Tarrlok was looking at her expectantly, already half-smiling, as if sure of her answer. "I'm sorry," she began. "But I'm afraid I can't help you."

Tarrlok's shoulders slumped a little in his shock. "R-really? I thought you would jump at the chance to capture Amon."

Korra shrugged, setting her glass down on the table. "I really need to focus on my airbending training in order to properly serve the people as their Avatar." Her words, like Tarrlok's felt strangely rehearsed.

"But you could serve the people as their Avatar  _now_  by helping me bring Amon to justice," Tarrlok pressed, frowning just a little.

"I'm aware of that," Korra said, a little sharply. "Like I said, I need to focus on my training with Tenzin." After a moment, she repeated the words that she knew by heart: "Even Avatar Aang had to master all four elements before defeating Firelord Ozai."  _He was twelve and mastered them in less than a year; what's your excuse?_ A voice that sounded suspiciously like Amon's whispered in her mind. She shook her head in an effort to clear it.

"Well," The councilman said slowly, "I can't say I'm not disappointed. Please enjoy your evening, Avatar Korra, and do let me know if you change your mind." He gave another short, quick, bow, and walked past her, stopping next to one of the reporters that had been taking pictures all night and speaking to him.

Korra let out a long breath, blowing some of her hair out of her face. It felt like all the stress she'd pushed away by ice-skating with Bolin had come back full-force. She wasn't hungry anymore, and she turned and walked off into the crowd, hoping to maybe find her parents or Tenzin and request that they head home early.

Instead, another familiar voice called her name, one she was much more happy to hear. "Korra! I've been looking everywhere for you!"

She couldn't help but smile a little, even though her shoulders still felt tense. "Hey, Bo," she said somewhat tiredly, turning around to greet him.

He smiled and waved at her, snaking his way through other guests until he was standing across from her. His hair was neatly slicked back again, and he was wearing a fairly modern-looking dress suit with a deep green shirt underneath that matched his eyes. "Wow," he said. "You look great!"

Her smile grew a little wider. "Thanks, so do you," she said honestly. Bolin usually kept himself pretty well-groomed, but he really did look very handsome. He grinned back at her, striking a pose, but then frowned a little, cocking his head to the side. "You okay?"

Korra straightened a little, trying to banish the anxiety that threatened to overwhelm her. "Of course, Bolin. I'm fine."

He squinted at her a little. "No, you're not," he said simply.

She scowled, and opened her mouth to deny it, when he held up his hands and spoke again. "You don't have to talk about it," he added. "It's okay. But it's okay to be upset, too, Korra. And if you  _do_  want to talk about it, I'm here."

Korra didn't know what to say to that, feeling sad and angry and happy all at once. "I know," she said finally, not meeting his eyes.

"Okay," he said, his smile softer. Then he brightened. "Come on then, come and meet the people who are gonna save our team!"

"We're getting saved?" Korra asked, her spirits lifting a little more. At least there was  _some_  good news.

"Yeah!" Bolin nodded excitedly, leading her through the crowd. "It's all thanks to Mako's new girlfriend, Asami Sato."

Korra stopped for a second, a strange feeling settling over her. Her throat felt tight. "Girlfriend?" She asked, trying to shake the feeling off, walking with Bolin again.

"Yep. She hit him with her moped, and the next thing you know they're going out! It's a love story for the ages!"

Korra tried to smile, but it didn't feel right. Then another thought struck her. "Wait, did you say Sato?"

Bolin looked back at her, nodding, and they came through a slight break in the crowd of people. There Mako was standing (looking very tall and very handsome in a fancy suit), his arm entwined with a beautiful girl's. Every move she made- even just standing there- seemed somehow effortlessly graceful and perfect. She wore a tight dark red dress that tied behind her neck, her long black hair flowing to her waist. Looking at her made Korra suddenly aware of the very traditional outfit she was wearing, and  _surely_  there was still more crab juice around her mouth…

"Hey you guys," Mako said, smiling pleasantly, looking more relaxed than Korra had ever seen him, except perhaps after they won a match. "Korra, I'd like you to meet Asami. Her father-" he gestured to the older man next to him, who smiled cheerfully at Korra – "Is going to be sponsoring us for the tournament so we can compete! Isn't that amazing?"

"Yeah," Korra said flatly, feeling as if all the air in her lungs was slowly leaking out of her. "It's great."

Asami smiled at her. There wasn't a smudge of makeup anywhere on her face, and not a single hair was out of place. "It's so nice to meet you," she said, offering her hand to shake. "Mako's told me so much about you."

Korra fought the impulse the cross her arms, taking her hand reluctantly. "Yeah, well I've heard pretty much nothing about you." She felt jittery, and her heart was beating faster, and she was sure that everyone was looking at her, comparing her and Asami. No wonder Mako was going out with her; she was beautiful and rich and perfect. Korra was the Avatar, but she was none of those other things.

Mako shot her a glare, but she ignored it. If he was aloud to treat everyone else like crap when he was moody, then he couldn't get mad at other people for doing the same thing.

Korra let out another breath, and focused instead on Asami's father, trying to focus on her happiness that they would get to compete. "Thank you so much for sponsoring us, Mr. Sato. It means a lot."

"Not a problem at all! And please, call me Hiroshi." He shook her hand vigorously. "It's an honor to meet you."

 _Does that make four times tonight or five?_ Korra thought wryly.

"And," he went on, "I just know that we can expect great things from you."

"Right." Korra tried to smile, but there was a lump in her throat, and she wanted nothing more than to leave, to find her parents or get on Naga and just run until there were no more thoughts running through her mind. "Great things."

She saw Bolin looking at her with concern, and tried to make her smile bigger, but if anything that only made him frown more.

Asami's face lit up all of a sudden. "I love this song." She turned to Mako, smiling sweetly. Mako actually blushed. "Do you want to dance?" She asked him.

"Uh, sure," he said, smiling back at her, and Korra could almost see literal hearts in his eyes as they walked off. "It was nice to meet you," Asami called back to her. "I look forward to getting to know you better! And seeing you play!" They vanished into the crowd, while Hiroshi Sato turned and struck up a conversation with another man in a fancy dress suit.

At that precise moment, Chief Bei Fong walked by, and Korra felt her already bad mood spike, and she glared at the police chief.

The chief stopped dead and glared back. It was strange seeing her out of her police uniform, but Korra hardly paid attention to what she was wearing. The chief crossed her arms, and for a minute looked like she wanted to say something, but then she didn't. Instead, she just scowled at Korra and walked off, as if she wasn't even worth her time.

 _Great. Just great. As if this night wasn't bad enough._ Korra's hands clenched at her sides, and she struggled to calm down. She wasn't sure if she wanted to light everything on fire or cry. Or both.

A hand brushed her shoulder. "Korra?"

Her head snapped toward him. " _What_ , Bo?" As soon as the words were out, she regretted her tone, and his eyes looked down at the floor for a moment.

"I'm sorry," she said, letting out another breath and trying to relax. "This has just been…a really stressful night."

He nodded in understanding. "I can tell." He smiled. "Let me see if I can help with that." He added a somewhat pompous quality to his voice. "May I have this dance, my lady?" He bowed so low his head almost touched his knees, and then straightened, offering his hand to her.

"Oh," Korra said, touched by the offer but unsure. It was one thing to dance in the privacy of his place, and quite another thing entirely to do it with so many people watching. "I don't know, Bo…"

His eyes softened, and he spoke more quietly. "Only if you want, Korra," he said. "But it'll be fun if you do."

She knew, suddenly, that it would be, and she took his hand.

The song was faster than the ones they'd practiced with, and Korra's hearth thumped nervously to every beat of the music.

 _Relax,_ Bolin mouthed at her, giving another showy bow, waving his arms superfluously. Korra couldn't help but laugh, giving a rather overdramatic bow in return. Their hands joined together, and Korra tried to not look at her feet, and to just feel the flow of the song.

He stepped toward her. She stepped back. She stepped forward, he stepped back. As the seconds passed it started to feel as natural as her bending moves, and their arms swung in time together.

"You're doing great, Korra!" Bolin encouraged, and she grinned back at him. All around her other couples were dancing, laughing, and for a moment it was easy to forget all the expectations they had for her, and all the ways she was failing them.

"The song's almost over," Bolin said, before going on excitedly. "We should do a dip!"

"What? No way! We've never practiced that before!"

He shrugged, still smiling, his eyes never leaving her face. She rather thought that he would get tired of looking at her while they were dancing, but he didn't seem to. He didn't have to say anything, because she knew what he would say:  _Only if you want. But it'll be fun._

She could sense the ending of the song as well, and her heart was pounding so loud she could hardly hear herself talk, let alone the music. "Okay," she said, and his grin grew wider. No matter what they were doing, Bolin always managed to look like he was having the time of his life, and it never felt forced.

They stepped closer, for a moment almost nose-to-nose, and she could see the sweat beading on his skin, the deep green of his eyes, the tiniest freckles, and his warm hands were at her upper and lower back respectively. "Kick your leg out as we go," he said, and bent her backward.

Her leg kicked out with perhaps a little too much force; had she been wearing one of the high-heeled shoes that so many of the other ladies were wearing, it would have gone sailing off of her foot and probably landed in the drink bowl. As it was, her shoe stayed securely on, and she bent backward, focusing on Bolin's smiling face, his firm hands holding her steady, and she could feel her hair just brushing the floor, and she laughed out loud. As light as she felt right now, he could probably lift her over his head with ease- not that she wanted him to try it.

They straightened, Bolin's hands lingering for just a moment on her back before pulling them away and stepping backward, rocking back a little on his heels. His face was red from exertion, and he looked at the floor for a moment. "Thanks for dancing with me," he said.

"No," Korra said, still feeling oddly light, giggling a little. "Thank you, good sir."

He laughed. "It has been an absolute pleasure, my lady." He paused for a second, and then went on. "I hope the rest of your night is better."

Korra smiled just a little. "I think it will be. I really do have to go though. I'll see you at practice, okay?"

Bolin nodded, and she turned, making her way through the crowd, dodging dancing couples every once in a while. She caught a glimpse of Mako and Asami still dancing and laughing together, and felt an odd swooping sensation in her stomach, like she had missed a step walking down the stairs, but she ignored it.

It took her only a few minutes to find her parents, as well as Tenzin, Pema, and their children. Even Meelo was looking tired, and they all agreed it was time to go. Korra walked between her parents, their arms wrapped around her shoulders, feeling as though she might actually get a good night's sleep that night.

She was only a few feet up the stairs when Councilman Tarrlok seemed to just suddenly appear before her. "Avatar Korra," he said smoothly. "I apologize for keeping you, but several of the reporters here have been wanting to ask you questions all night. I've been keeping them off, but they really are desperate for a word from you."

Korra looked at the door, both so near and so far, and felt like  _she_  was the desperate one.

"Councilman Tarrlok," Tenzin said sternly, "Korra has a long day of training ahead of her, and we really must be going-"

Korra stepped away from her parent's arms, looking at the crowd of people, many of whom were reporters already snapping pictures of her. She bit her lip.

"It will only take a moment," Tarrlok assured her.

Korra turned a little more toward them. "I-"

"Excellent," Tarrlok said, giving her a little push toward the reporters, and a makeshift podium.

Korra swallowed at the sight of so many flashing cameras. "Um. You had some, um, questions?"

One reporter stepped forward. "Avatar Korra," he began. "You witnessed Amon's terrible power firsthand. How much of a threat do you think he poses to our good city?"

Korra swallowed, and tried not to think of the images from that night, or the images from her nightmares. "I…I think he poses a real problem," she said.

Almost before she had finished speaking another reporter came forward accusingly. "Then why have you refused to join Tarrlok's task force? We all witnessed you turning him down not even an hour ago! As the Avatar, shouldn't it be your job to stop Amon?"

The lights felt very hot all of a sudden. "Well, I-"

The reporter went on, ignoring or not noticing her attempts to answer. "Why are you backing away from this fight?"

Anger flashed through her. "I've never backed down from anything in my life!"

This simple sentence seemed to spur them on, for all of a sudden even more were firing questions at her, so quickly she couldn't even understand all of them.

"Aren't you going back on your promise to serve this city by not working to catch Amon?"

"Do you think pro-bending is more important than keeping this city safe?"

"How do you think Avatar Aang would have handled this situation?"

Everything – the sadness and the frustration and the long long night seemed to build up in her at that moment, and whatever she had been using to hold back her emotions snapped. "I am  _not_  afraid!" She shouted. She stepped forward, gipping the sides of the podium so tightly her knuckles were white. "If the city needs me, I'll join Tarrlok's task force! And I  _will_  capture Amon!"

More cameras flashed, and more questions came at her, but she didn't hear them. Tarrlok slid up next to her, laying his arm across her shoulders, declaring that the reporters had their headline.

The sound around her was suddenly deafening, and Korra stared at the microphone in front of her, feeling sick. Then she clenched her fists.

_No. I am done being afraid. I am the Avatar, and I will not fail again._

~-~-~-~-~-~-~

In another part of the city, the radio crackled.

The people gathered around it watched, waiting to hear more.

Their leader sat next to it, his hands folded together. They could not see his face (some whispered that he had no true face, that he was more than man or spirit) but they could hear the smile in his voice as he spoke.

"I think this turn of events will work nicely to our advantage," he said. "The Avatar has just sealed her own fate."

 


	8. Chapter Eight: The Voice in the Night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wooooooo! Man, this chapter took a lot out of me. I feel really happy to have update it so quickly this time, but expect a break after this. I'll be participating in NaNoWriMo, so I'll be hard at work on that for a while. 
> 
> As always, any dialogue that is directly from the show is credited to Bryke and Nickelodeon, and I got said dialogue from episode transcripts. 
> 
> A few chapter/translation notes: The name for the OC "Mizu" means "water", which is pretty appropriate considering who she is. The name "Sudhir", meanwhile, means "courageous", and kudos to anyone who guesses who that particular character is. I also used some 1920s slang in this chapter, namely "dewdropper", which basically refers to a man that sleeps all day and doesn't have a job.
> 
> And for those who may be wondering after this chapter...yes, I am establishing Mako as demisexual.
> 
> Sorry for the length on this one. I just really didn't want to cut it again; I just wanted this section of the story to be over. Hopefully the next one won't be as long, but I hope you guys enjoy this long chapter anyway. Also, this hasn't been beta-ed as of this update, since I'm looking for a new beta for this story.

* * *

“Absolutely _not_.” Senna’s voice was like ice as she looked at Korra, her arms crossed over her chest. At first she had been scared, sad, _panicked_ , but she had been arguing with Korra in circles for a while. And now, what felt like hours after the event, she was _furious_.

Korra was just as angry, her fists clenched tightly at her sides. Every move she made, Tonraq half expected the Earth to crack beneath her feet. Which it very well could, especially if he couldn’t diffuse the situation. Tenzin and Pema were standing a little ways down the ferry, looking awkward and sad at the same time, their kids peering around them in interest.

“Korra, please,” Tonraq said, raising placating hands toward both her and Senna. “Your mother and I just want you to be safe.”

Korra scowled, though she still looked slightly softer. “I’m going to be surrounded by very powerful people! High trained people! _And_ , I can take care of myself!”

“That doesn’t mean something can’t happen!” Senna said, on the verge of shouting now, throwing her hands up into the air.

“ _I can take care of myself!”_ Korra repeated, her voice rising as well, taking an aggressive step forward.

“Enough.” Tonraq said, before Senna could open her mouth. “I said that’s _enough_!” He repeated as both his wife and daughter sucked in angry breaths. “Both of you!” They turned their eyes to him, glaring, but he stared back calmly. “Senna, yelling at Korra isn’t going to do anything. Korra, you need to try and _listen_ to us for a moment-”

“But that’s just _it_ , dad!” Korra burst out. “I _did_ listen! I understand! But I _have_ to do this!”  Her voice faltered, and when she spoke again it was softer. “I know-I know you guys are worried. You want to keep me safe, but,” she looked away and then back. “I’m the Avatar. I’m supposed to keep _everyone_ safe.”

Tonraq’s chest felt tight, and he shared a look with Senna, who had softened and was biting her lip.

Korra was pleading now. “Mom, dad. I _have_ to do this,” she said. “I _have_ to.”

Tonraq reached out to his daughter, grasping her shoulders gently. “Korra,” he began, but suddenly he couldn’t think of what to say. All he could see was that little girl from years ago, sitting in the middle of the room with the curtains on fire, waterbending a snowman together with her little cousins, and so _excited_ to be the Avatar. “We just want you to be safe,” he finished, unable to put words to all the feelings in his chest.

She smiled just a little, her eyes shining, but her determination was painful to see. He was so, _so_ proud of his daughter, but there were times where he wished that she had never been born the Avatar. He wanted her to be with her friends, to play pro-bending and go dancing and play with Tenzin’s children, not risk her life against a kidnapper that wanted to hurt her.

It was Senna who spoke next. “Let’s talk about this more tomorrow,” she said, and though she wasn’t trying to concede her victory, Tonraq knew that that was what it was, and so did Korra. “Okay,” his daughter agreed.

He hugged them both.

The rest of the ferry ride passed in silence, all of them simply watching the waves. The minutes passed, and Tronraq turned his head to look back at Republic City in the distance.

 _Amon,_ Tonraq thought to himself, _if you hurt my daughter, I will kill you myself._

~-~-~-~-~-~ 

One week later, Korra was dressed all in black, crouched low on the ground, peering through a small, grimy window, Tarrlok at her side. The other members of the task force (Korra was still learning all of their names) pressed tightly up against the building, staying in the shadows.

The tiny window was lit up with bright yellow light, and inside were several groups of men and women sparring. No, they were practicing chi-blocking. On the walls hung several banners with Amon on them, his fist raised in triumph.

Amon’s voice rang in her head, and for one moment she could see him reaching toward her. _Once I take away your bending, you will be **nothing**._

Korra shook her head, concentrating. She met Tarrlok’s eyes and he nodded once, giving the signal for the formation they had been practicing the past week. Korra had been cutting her probending practice a little short in order to be there, and she knew the plan confidently. Tarrlok held his hand up now, waiting for them to be ready.

At the signal, one of the task force members – one of the ones whose name she didn’t know yet – slowly unscrewed the gigantic water tank on their car. Three other bender task force members joined in, until they all had water in their hands, waiting for the final signal. On the outskirts stood the earthbending members, their fists raised. Two non-bender members were perched just behind them, ready to run in when the moment came.

Korra breathed in and out, slowly and quietly. Tarrlok waved his hand down, and the waterbenders struck, sending the water pouring into the room and freezing, catching several of the chi-blockers around their ankles. The earthbenders broke through the wall, several blocks crumbling as they stepped inside. The two non-bender task force members charged in, catching those who had managed to avoid the water off guard, and then Korra and Tarrlok jumped in as well.

Immediately, Tarrlok used some of his water to throw one of the chi-blockers against the wall, freezing them there, while the two remaining Equalist trainees began to run for the door against the far wall. They threw grenades behind them that released a sort of green mist. As the mist grew thicker, Korra threw a glance back at Tarrlok, already running after them. “I’m getting them!” She called, freezing the grenades to keep more smoke from escaping. She ran at the door and kicked it open, slowing down only for a moment before she ran again.

Korra sprinted down the hallway, ice in her palms, when something caught on her foot and she flew forward, landing hard on the ground and scraping her cheek. She only had time to look up to see a chi-blocker appear out of the shadows, reaching for her.

Korra quickly jumped to her feet, kicking and earthbending a large chunk of the floor at the chi-blocker, the force of the momentum making her fall on her back. The chi-blocker also fell to the ground, but he looked unconscious.

She heard a thump and a slight shriek, and looked around to see Tarrlok had frozen the last chi-blocker to the wall behind her. Korra climbed to her feet, dusting herself off. “Nice timing,” she said, smiling just a little. “Thanks, Tarrlok.”

He smiled back, and gave a little bow. “We make a good team, Avatar Korra.”

She nodded, crossing her arms and looking at the frozen chi-blocker. “Yeah, we do.”

When they arrived outside- the captured chi-blockers now all held in handcuffs - several photographers approached, alongside a few reporters. They fired questions at Korra, and Councilman Tarrlok. Korra scowled, looking away from them, but Tarrlok actually stood straighter and almost posed in front of the captured Equalists. 

“Avatar Korra and I vow to continue these raids until Amon is stopped,” Tarrlok declared, and a few of the people around cheered.

Before the chi-blockers were loaded into the police truck, their masks were removed. They were men and women, some looking to have hailed from the Fire Nation, while others looked to be from the Earth Kingdom. Many looked to be in their twenties or thirties, but a few were older.

One of them couldn’t have been older than Jinora.

The kid was skinny. In a way that was almost painful to look at, like so many of the kids Korra saw that lived on the streets. The kid’s cheekbones were sharp in their face, their hair long and messy, a fresh cut from the fight across their nose. They glared at Korra, looking as if they wanted nothing more than to spit at her feet.

But in the last seconds that she could see them before they were pushed into the truck, their expression changed. They paled, and their eyes suddenly looked huge in their face; they closed them tightly, and Korra thought that they might cry, but they were pushed into the truck and out of her sight a moment later.

She watched the truck as it drove away, feeling frozen to the spot.

“Avatar Korra?” Tarrlok spoke from behind her, and Korra jumped, banishing the images of the boy’s terrified expression from her mind.

“Yes?” She turned toward the councilman, tucking a stray bit of hair behind her ear.

“I was simply telling the others that we can head home for the night.” He paused, and cocked his head to the side. “Thank you again for your assistance. You were a great help.”

Korra smiled. “Well, like you said, we make a good team.”

He smiled back. “Do you need a ride to the dock? I can have a car here within minutes.”

“Oh, no thank you.” Korra raised her hands a little. “The White Lotus guards are waiting for me outside city hall; they’re supposed to walk back with me.”

Tarrlok gave a little bow. “Well, you can still ride that far with the others if you wish. Most of them will be using the truck we arrived here in to go home anyway.”

Korra considered for a moment. On the one hand, city hall wasn’t that far and she could easily make the trip on her own. But on the other hand, there was Amon...

“Yes, thank you,” Korra said, her hands clenching tightly at her sides. She tried to force herself to relax. Tarrlok didn’t seem to notice her tense shoulders, and instead walked back with her the short distance to the truck where the other task force members were waiting.

“Do you have something on your mind, Avatar Korra?” Tarrlok asked after a moment, once more jerking Korra out of her thoughts.

She looked away for a moment, remembering the child’s face again. “I…what’s going to happen to them? The Equalists that we captured?”

“Why, they’ll go to prison, of course,” Tarrlok said, laughing a little. “They’re in league with Amon after all.”

“A-all of them?” Korra stopped. “Without a trial or anything?”

Tarrlok waved a hand as if that was a minor point. “They will all have trials, but it hardly matters. We caught them, and they will be punished, as they deserve.” 

 _As they deserve._ Korra bit her lip. She didn’t know what any of them deserved, or if any of the ones they’d caught tonight had even done anything besides learn chi-blocking. Maybe they hadn’t hurt anyone yet. “Some of them looked really young,” Korra said, looking back down the street where the police truck had gone.

At this, Tarrlok paused as well, his back to her. He stood like that for several seconds in silence before he spoke. “Children like that are better off in the hands of the government than with someone like Amon,” he said finally. “They’ll be reformed, and the trials _will_ take their age into account. Better that they’re punished and then given a second change, rather than turned into…child soldiers.” His voice changed on the last sentence, becoming quieter. Then he straightened, and turned to look at her, his voice and demeanor back to normal. “Well then, shall we get going?”

“…Yeah.” Korra walked the rest of the way to the truck. She didn’t talk during the ride, and she didn’t speak much to the White Lotus guards when she met up with them either. She was too busy thinking about that kid; the way their face at looked just before they were shoved in the truck.

Better than being a child soldier, Tarrlok had said. Well, maybe that was true. But the sight of that kid –probably homeless and with no one to turn to, now truly alone and scared – hadn’t felt right either.

As they passed the statue of Avatar Aang, she looked up at his forever-staring eyes. _I bet you would have known what to do,_ she thought, and she wished that he would appear before her to offer advice ( _and condemnation)_ , but he didn’t.

Still, she stared at the statue until she arrived back at Airbender Island.

~-~-~-~-~-~ 

The officers in the hall saluted her as she walked by. Lin nodded back, moving past them to the end of the hall, and the through the far door.

On the other side of the door, she stopped and stood for a moment, crossing her arms, and simply watched the group of trainees. They weren’t new recruits; in fact, most of them had been on the force for years, but with the Council’s go-ahead the police department was finally teaching the non bender members chi-blocking.

The large training room, which was dotted with blue training mats and punching bags, with a few long mirrors on the walls, was big enough to hold training sessions comfortably with twenty people at a time. Currently the non-bender officers were taking two hours – paid – off of their shift schedules in order to train.

Soon, Amon wouldn’t have the upper hand. He could disarm her metalbenders all he wanted, but then he’d have to contend with her own chi-blockers as well. She smirked at the thought. She _would_ find him, and stop him, before he hurt too many others. She had to.

At the head of the room, in front of the non-bender trainees, stood two women. One was in her eighties now; her hair was no longer dark red as it had been when Lin was young, and she had a scar that could just be seen going across the right side of her collarbones. Lin knew the scar went down her shoulder and almost to her hip, but it couldn’t be seen with all of her clothing. She was wearing simple Earth Kingdom clothing, with a few influences from her days with the Kioshi Warriors, such as the fans at her side. She wore no makeup, and there were deep lines in her face, but there was a never-ending energy and _life_ in even her smallest movements. There was confidence, one that made her seem somehow younger.

Even knowing her for all of these years – her whole life, really – it was kind of strange for Lin to see Suki at this age. In her mind, when she thought of Suki, she was forever as she had been when Lin was a teenager. But, that time was long past, and Suki’s age didn’t interfere with her abilities in any way that Lin could see. If anything, she’d even gotten better with age, like good wine. There was something about the way she stood, as if age itself had settled on her very reluctantly, and the more one looked at her, the more one found themselves forgetting how old she truly was.

The other woman – Mizu – was a little younger than Lin, and was shorter than Suki by an inch or so. Her hair was long and braided back in a water tribe style. In fact, her coloring was more water tribe than anything else, but she had Suki’s facial features, and her eyes. Mizu’s attitude was very much like Suki’s as well, but when she smiled, all Lin could see was Sokka. For a moment, a thousand memories of him ruffling her hair and teasing her, hugging her, encouraging her, passed through her mind, and she closed her eyes. Then she opened them and was moving again. Now wasn’t the time to get lost in memories. They had work to do.

Suki looked over and shot Lin a smile, before returning her attention to the non-bender officers grouped before her. As Lin came to stand at her other side, Suki addressed the crowd. “I want everyone to split into pairs,” She said. “ You will take turns and spar each other in the center of the room while the others watch. Whoever successfully uses chi-blocking against their opponent first wins, and then we will move on to the next pair. Remember: chi blocking is not about brute force. You need only lightly touch your opponent’s pressure points-” here Suki gestured to a few of said points on her own body – “in order to disable bending or to paralyze them. Though the Equalists are not benders, it is important you practice many different forms of chi-blocking.” She stepped back, and the officers paired together and formed a large circle in the center of the room, ending where Lin, Suki, and Mizu stood.

Mizu straightened. “First pair, step forward!”

Two female officers – both rather young, obviously new recruits – stepped forward, and took fighting stances in front of each other. As they charged at each other, Lin turned a little toward Suki.

“How is the training going?” She asked, keeping one eye on the sparring officers.

“Very well,” Suki replied with a warm smile. “Not as good as the Kyoshi warriors of course,” she added, her smile growing teasingly, “But they’ll do.”

Lin nodded, smiling back a little. “Excellent.”

“They all need more practice,” Mizu said, eyeing the officers as one of the women successfully chi-blocked the other, managing to paralyze her arm. They bowed at each other, and toward the front where Suki and her daughter were standing, and then they went back to the outline of the circle. Another pair – this time two men – moved to the center and began to spar.

“Still,” she went on, “They have come a long way.”

“If you wish, I could ask Ty-Lee to come down here and give a few lessons,” Suki said, her hands brushing over the fans at her hip. “She is still the best chi-blocker I have ever witnessed. I know that we were on hand, since we live here, but I’m sure she would be happy to make the trip.”

“Maybe,” Lin said, her eyebrows pulled together in thought. “It certainly wouldn’t hurt. You both seem to be doing a fine job, though. For the first time we’re really getting a leg up on the Equalists.”

For a second they were all quiet, watching the two men, and then Suki spoke again. “Have you heard of _The Equal Republic_?” She asked.

Lin frowned. “Can’t say I have.”

Suki nodded. “Must have just started then, or else it was kept really quiet. It’s a newspaper." 

“We saw it this morning,” Mizu said. She tucked a little bit of hair behind her ear. “A kid was handing it out. Couldn’t have been older than eight. It’s a propaganda paper.” 

Lin raised her eyebrows. “Let me guess-”

“Paid for by the Equalists,” Suki finished. “Well, they don’t go out and say that. But it definitely supports them. And it’s more than propaganda. It reports things that don’t always end up in the _Republic City Times_.”

Lin nodded slowly, and sighed, putting a hand to her forehead. “Simultaneously undermining us, and giving credibility to the Equalists. After all, if those stories aren’t printed because of some kind of cover-up, what else could we be hiding?” She rubbed her eyes. “It just reinforces the idea that we don’t care about the poor or the non-bender citizens.”

“It’s a free paper too,” Suki added grimly. “Their tagline is: ‘The Unbiased Truth’. I’d suggest picking up a copy. If even half of the articles in it are true…well, let’s just say I can definitely understand why other non-benders will support it.” 

“Right.” Lin let out another long sigh. “None of this is going to be easy.”

Suki made a slight humming noise. “No. But men like Amon always fall, in the end.”

“There haven’t been any men like Amon that I’ve ever heard of,” Lin admitted, crossing her arms.

Suki looked at her with a raised eyebrow. “I’ve fought one.” Mizu smirked a little. Before Lin could respond, Suki went on. “There are always men like Amon. And eventually, they all fall. Only for another man like them to start hurting people again. Around and around it goes. Yin and Yang. Push and pull. We fight for those few years of peace. It sounds hopeless, but it’s worth it. Little by little, we do get better.”

“Well, some of us do,” Mizu interjected, wincing as one of the men in the ring attempted to chi-block the other, only to miss the pressure point and instead make his opponent yelp in pain, shaking out the hit arm. “Hold it!” She called to the men as they prepared to face each other again. They froze, partially in fighting stances.

Mizu turned to Suki. “Care to do the honors, Mom?”

Suki grinned, and drew herself up a little. “I think I can handle one of these dewdroppers,” she said, stepping forward into the ring. The men in the middle exchanged glances, one of them looking like they were about to laugh.

“You!” She said, pointing to the man that had failed in his chi-blocking. He snapped to attention. “Get ready.” She gestured to the other man. “You? Watch. Next time you face him, be ready to get it right before he does.”

Suki walked to the center of the circle, drawing one of her golden fans, holding it out in front of her, her body turned sideways, her other hand open and empty, palm-down, waiting for the man to make his first move.

He did. Both of his hands raised, he feinted to the left, but Suki was ready, and she easily stepped to his right, meeting his other hand with her fan and turning it to the side. The stepped around each other, and Suki face him once more, smirking just a little. In that moment, she could have been a young woman again. 

This time the man tried to go low; he pivoted and tried to pull her over by hooking his foot around an ankle, but Suki smoothly redirected his kick, holding his leg up with the fan in her hand, forcing his legs farter apart, the one in her hand held up above their heads. He only had time for a slight _squeak_ noise before Suki’s other hand hit a pressure point in his neck. He collapsed on the ground, twitching slightly.

“Don’t worry,” Suki said, her voice light. She dusted herself off a little, and walked back to the head of the circle. “That will wear off in a few minutes.”

For what felt like the first time in a long time, Lin laughed out loud.

(~-~-~-~-~-~) 

Mako turned his head slightly to one side and then the other, studying his face from all angles in the mirror. He ran a hand through his hair again, and then a finger over his eyebrows, making sure they were in the right shape.

“Well,” Bolin drawled slowly from the doorway, making Mako jump a little. “I’m sure Asami is going to go weak in the knees when she sees the shape of your eyebrows.”

Mako rolled his eyes. “Shut up.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Bolin walked into the bathroom and punched Mako’s shoulder. “What is this, your guys’ third date now?”

“Yeah. We’re spending the day at her house this time.” Mako looked at his reflection again, and then scowled when he saw Bolin was making faces at him in the mirror.

“Her house, huh?” Bolin wiggled his eyebrows, elbowing Mako lightly in the side.

Mako shook his head and rolled his eyes again. “She wants to take me driving on the track by her house. I doubt anything else will happen.” He’d had sex before, and had even enjoyed it, but it was never something he really desired.  Thinking about sex with Asami felt different, though. Thinking about doing anything with Asami was different, somehow. It all felt so…easy, and fun, and _good_ , in a way he hadn’t felt since his parents were alive. Not that Bolin knew any of that, though.

Bolin smiled, seeming hardly bothered. “I hope you guys have fun. Asami’s great, Mako. Really.”

Mako smiled back, letting out a slow breath. “She really is.”

Bolin laughed, and then walked out of the bathroom, calling back behind him: “Any time you want to take me to your girlfriend’s super-awesome mansion, let me know!”

Visions of Bolin breaking something horrendously expensive danced in Mako’s head. “We’ll see!” He called back, returning his attention to the mirror, and giving his appearance another once-over.

After standing another ten minutes in front of the mirror (more he’d care to admit if asked), he made his way out of their small apartment, waving goodbye to Bolin as he went. He stopped for a second outside of the their door, picking up the newspaper on the floor – AVATAR KORRA TAKES A STAND AGAINST THE EQUALISTS – written in large font on the front. He quickly turned and tossed the paper inside the apartment, and then shut the door behind him.

He hurried down the stairs, past a disgruntled Toza, who scowled at him and told him to remember to come help him out around the gym the next day. When Mako made it down to the street, he spied a trolley waiting on the corner, and managed to catch it just in time, hoisting himself up onto the back and holding onto one of the metal bars.

For a minute he just enjoyed the cool air as the trolley moved down the street, and he closed his eyes, listening to the sounds of people talking, of satomobiles driving by, and more. He’d grown so used to hearing all of those sounds as a kid on the streets – as well as some sounds at night he’d rather not remember – that it was hard for him to get to sleep without some kind of noise in the background.

The trolley went over a bump in the road, and he was jostled a little, holding himself steady against the bar in his hand. Someone bumped into him, treading hard on his foot, and then moved further into the trolley without so much as an apology.  Mako glared after them, wiggling his foot out a little, and then his eyes caught sight of something that made him freeze.

It was a newspaper, with a picture of Korra on the front, dressed all in black. The person holding the paper was reading something on the inside, so Mako had a pretty good view of the front page, and more importantly, the words written in large letters over Korra’s picture:

AVATAR KORRA IN THE GOVERNMENT’S POCKET, IMPRISONS NON-BENDER CITIZENS

Mako frowned, his eyebrows pulling together. He couldn’t get a good view of the title of the paper, but looking at it gave him a sense of dread. He knew that non-benders didn’t have a lot of the same opportunities (hell, no non-benders that he knew of worked at the power plant) but the Equalists had kidnapped his brother and needed to be stopped. Honestly, he didn’t know much about the task force or what Korra was doing with them, but she was trying to help and to protect people, so that no one else got hurt.

He knew, though, that no matter what people were bound to get hurt. And Korra would be hurt if she saw things like that headline. He’d have to tell her – or maybe have Bo do it, since they got along so well – before she saw it. She wasn’t “in the government’s pocket” and she definitely wasn’t trying to hurt anyone, he knew that.

The memory of how Korra had looked while she’d attacked that protestor flashed through his mind, but he shook it off. No, Korra wanted to help people. She was his friend, his teammate, and she’d helped him save Bo’s life. He had to have faith in her.

Mako was so lost in his thoughts that he nearly missed his stop, and jumped onto the sidewalk just as the trolley was leaving again. He dusted himself off a little, and began walking further up the road. He could see Asami’s house, and the sight both lifted his spirits and daunted him a little. 

He would feel better if the house wasn’t so _huge_. It had three levels, and the actual mansion – his girlfriend lived in a _mansion_ , he still couldn’t wrap his head around that one – was actually located on the third level. However, the mansion itself still had a few floors in it, and Mako was pretty sure that he could easily get lost inside. Hell, if he wasn’t careful, he’d probably wander into the wrong room and fall in the pool – which was _inside her house_. He hadn’t seen anywhere near all of it yet, and standing in front of the towering estate, Mako gulped a little, adjusting his scarf again. _You can do this,_ he told himself. _You’ve been here before._ However, before he could raise his hand to knock on the door, a voice called out:

“Master Mako!”

Mako turned around, seeing one of the Sato’s family servants – something else he was not at all used to – walking briskly toward him. The servant bowed a little, and then spoke again. “Master Mako, Miss Sato asked me to inform you that she is waiting for you at the racetrack.”

 _Racetrack. Right. She has one of those too,_ Mako thought, somewhat dazedly. “Oh, uh, thanks for the info. I’ll go meet her there, then.”

The servant bowed again. “If you would follow me, Master Mako, I will gladly take you there.”

“Uh, thanks,” Mako said, scratching the back of his neck. Without another word the servant turned on his heel, and Mako followed behind him. They walked quickly inside the estate and out the other side, Mako unable to help but still gape at the interior of the mansion. Though he’d seen it already, it was still really hard to take in. The ceilings were high, and the walls were polished (so were the floors, for that matter), and there were vases full of flowers in several places, and thick stone columns supporting the structure.  They went up some stairs and through a back door, and then Mako could see the racetrack.

They continued walking toward it, the servant moving at a surprisingly fast pace, especially for how stiff his body was. Mako spotted Asami standing in front of a shiny satomobile. She was holding a helmet in her hand, and was talking with a group of people, gesturing toward the satomobile. When she saw Mako she grinned widely and waved at him. Mako felt himself grinning in response, waving back and jogging the rest of the way over.

“Hi,” he said breathlessly.

“Hi,” she said back, giggling a little. For a moment they just smiled at each other, Mako’s chest fluttering and warm. Then Asami motioned toward the people standing next to her. 

“These two are Wei and Li, “ she said, gesturing toward a Fire Nation man and woman whose features were similar enough that they were likely related, “They are engineers working for my father. They helped to design this new model of satomobile.” She patted the vehicle at her side. “We hope to start mass production soon.” Asami gestured to the other man, an Earth Kingdom man with a mustache cut into two thin and long pieces that hung down the sides of his face. “This is Sudhir. He’s been teaching me how to fight since I was little. I’ve known him practically my whole life.”

Sudhir smiled, his pale green eyes bright. “Well, you have been an excellent student, Asami. There is little you cannot accomplish when you set your mind to it.” He bowed suddenly, barely glancing at Mako. “If you’ll excuse me, I will wait back on the stands. I’m looking forward to seeing you drive.” He nodded a little at Mako, turned around, and walked toward the metal seats that had been constructed in a ring around the track.

Asami caught Mako’s hand in her own. “So,” she said, her fingers wrapping around his, her hand warm and firm, making Mako’s chest feel tight and fluttery and weightless all the same time. “Want to take this car for a spin with me on the track?”

Mako was pretty sure he was just grinning like a fool, and he nodded, his head bobbing a few too many times. “Yeah, um, that sounds great!” He hadn’t been a car too many times in his life, let alone on a track, but being anywhere with Asami would be fun.

Her smile widened. “Great!” She led him to the car, letting go of his hand to let herself inside. She put on her helmet. “Better buckle up. Another helmet should be on your seat.”

He slid his own helmet on, and put on the seat belt, turning his head to watch her as she started the car. Man, she just looked so graceful no matter what she did, so pretty and happy, and it was impossible for him to not feel happy at the same time. 

She winked at him, and his heart thudded in his chest. They hadn’t even been dating long, but already she felt like one of the most amazing people he’d ever –

The engine roared to life, and then _WHOOSH_! They were off, Mako’s head snapping back and hitting the back of his seat.

“Gah!” He said, his hands gripping the sides of the seat for dear life as they sped down the track, Asami expertly flying around the corners, her hair whipping in the wind like a flag. Mako tried to sink as far into his seat as possible, his heart hammering, the world around them a blur, and Asami laughed out loud while Mako made a strange sound that was like a jumble of words rolled together. 

His eyes felt dry from the rushing air, but closing them made it feel like they were going even faster, so he kept them open, sure at every corner that they were going to go sailing off the edge of the track, but Asami always turned them just in time, Mako trying to keep himself as stiff in his seat as possible. 

Finally the car started to slow down, and Mako even more slowly relaxed the seat, peeling himself away from the leather seat. They stopped, without so much as a jerk, at the start of the track again, and Mako let out a breath he hadn’t known he’d been holding. Across the way on the metal seats, he could see Sudhir laughing.

“So,” Asami said, taking off her helmet and tossing her hair, reminding him of the moment he’d first seen her, “What did you think?”

“That was very,” he cleared his throat, “Um, _fast_.”

She laughed again. “That’s kind of the idea.” She leaned forward, taking off his helmet and kissing his cheek. Mako blushed. 

“Well, do you want to give it a shot?” She asked, gesturing to the steering wheel.

Mako shook his head quickly. “No, I- I’m fine. I don’t know how, anyway.”

“Really?” Asami raised her eyebrows, but then nodded. “I guess that makes sense.” She smiled again. “Why don’t I teach you?”

Mako hesitated, looking out at the track.

“I promise we’ll go slow,” Asami said seriously, and he looked back at her. “It’s okay to be nervous about it, Mako, and it’s okay if you don’t want to.”

After a second’s more thought, he nodded slowly. “Yeah. Okay. Let’s do it.”

She kissed him again, on the mouth this time, and Mako was surprised to feel a sort of jolt go through him, like how he sometimes felt lightning bending. It was _hot_ and fast and made every inch of his body more aware of everything. Suddenly he could feel her soft lips even more, and the way her hand curled around his neck, her fingers pressing into his point of his pulse, his heart beating faster, everything in him focused on _her_ and her alone, and he wanted to feel more of her, wanted to open his mouth and feel her tongue, wanted to press himself closer – and then she pulled back, leaving Mako breathless and a little confused. He shook his head, trying to clear it while Asami climbed out of the car. He’d never felt that way kissing _anyone_ before.

He shook it off, getting out of the car and moving to the driver’s side. He’d think about that later, he told himself, even as his body felt jittery, and he very much wanted to kiss her again.

Mako sat down, staring at the steering wheel in front of him, nervousness overriding his other feelings. He put his hands on the wheel, his arms locked in place, his shoulders and neck so stiff it felt like he might give himself a cramp. 

Asami placed a hand on his shoulder. “Relax,” she said softly. “Like I said, we’ll take it slow.” 

He nodded, letting out a slow breath, looking at her to see her giving him an encouraging smile, and he felt calmer. 

“Right.” He said. “Let’s do it.” 

(~-~-~-~-~-~)

Korra walked quietly back to her room. Most people on the island were getting ready to go to sleep, and it was about time for her to try meditation again. Maybe her working with the task force would’ve a positive effect on her meditation. _Not like I can get any worse at it,_ she thought somewhat bitterly.

As she made her way down the hall, she passed a sleepy Meelo listing sideways toward the wall, and gently positioned his body toward the bathroom. He walked in it, mumbling things under his breath. Smiling a little, Korra kept walking, and almost ran right into Tenzin.

“Korra,” he said, blinking at her in surprise. “Going to bed?”

She shrugged, looking away. It was a little strange to see him in his nightclothes, since she was so used to the robes he wore during the day. “I’m going to try to meditate, and maybe do some more late night airbending practice.”

“Ah, I see.” Tenzin frowned a little. She started to walk past him, but then he spoke again.

“Korra?”

She turned around. “Yeah?”

He hesitated. “Are you…all right?”

For a moment her gut clenched tight, but then she nodded, keeping her features calm. “I’m fine, Tenzin.” _I’m fine I’m fine I’m fine I’m fine._

He stared at her for a long moment, and Korra fought to not fidget.

“All right,” he said finally, and relief washed through her. “Still,” he went on, “Korra, you know…I know that you might be feeling strange around me, after that argument that we had, but I want you to know that it’s okay to be scared. The whole city is frightened by what is going on. The important thing is to talk about our fears, because if we don’t, they can throw us out of balance.” 

Korra didn’t answer, _couldn’t_ answer.

Tenzin regarded her seriously. “I’m always here if you want to talk.”

With that he turned, and walked the rest of the way down the hall. Korra stared after him for a moment, and then took a deep breath, and made her way back to her room.

Once inside Korra tried to calm down, taking several deep breaths. She was fine. She was the Avatar, and she would get it right. She would stop Amon, she would learn airbending, and she’d start by learning how to meditate.

She sat cross-legged on the rug on the floor, her wrists on her knees. Korra breathed slowly in and out. _Think peaceful thoughts,_ she told herself. Tenzin had told her that true meditation was more of an absence of thought than anything else, but she was nowhere near that point. Mostly she hoped to keep herself calm and able to sit for longer periods of time, and then maybe work up to the whole not-thinking-one-with-the-universe thing. And maybe if she did it right, she wouldn’t have nightmares.

 _Okay. Happy thoughts. Peaceful thoughts._ She breathed slowly in and out again, trying to fight the urge to fidget. Instead she thought of times when she had felt the most peaceful, and the happiest.

There was when she’d first bent water, or rather snow. Her Aunt, Uncle, and cousins had been visiting. She’d challenged Eska and Desna to a snowball fight, and she’d thrown up her arms to defend herself, only for the snow to move up like a wall in front of her. She hadn’t meant to do it, but it had felt _right_ , and she’d known immediately that she was the one who had done it. She couldn’t remember all of it, mostly just things like her Aunt’s warm hands on her shoulder, telling her that she just knew Korra would be an amazing bender. Her cousin’s laughter – a rare thing, from what she remembered – ringing in her ears while they played. But more than that she could remember the way it had felt to bend water for the first time.

Slowly she started to relax, and tried to remember other moments. There was when her parents had told her that they loved her “because she was Korra”. There was when she was training Naga and learning how to ride her. There were the times where she learned a new bending move right away, and the time Master Katara had made her dessert for her birthday. The memories came faster, flowing together smoothly. Nights spent with her parents, playing and sparring and having dinner. Times when the White Lotus guards had told her stories and snuck her candy. Being told that she was going to Republic City with Tenzin. Meeting Bolin, and seeing Mako pull off his hat-trick. Lunches with Bo and training sessions with the team, dancing, ice skating, Bolin’s face so close to hers and his eyes so _green_ , Pabu nuzzling her cheek, getting Mako to praise her, the few times he smiled, rescuing Bolin and knowing that he was _safe_ , waking up next to Mako under the tree, seeing him look so peaceful, and thinking _maybe if we do this he’ll praise me again_ -

Her eyes snapped open, her heart hammering in her chest. She felt a flush rise in her chest, her cheeks, and stood quickly, shaking her head. _No. I can’t think about that either._ She couldn’t think about the way her gut had twisted when she’d seen him with Asami, the way she felt like she’d been slapped every time he ignored how well she was doing in pro-bending. No, now was not the time to think about that.

Korra let out a frustrated sigh, and collapsed on the bed. Her mind felt stretched thin, and even her bones felt sore. Between pro-bending and going out with the task force and training with Tenzin, she’d never been so busy before. Slowly she let out another breath and closed her eyes again, trying to keep her breathing slow and even, to just let her mind drift into sleep.

 _For a moment a jumbled assortment of faces flashed in her mind. Avatar Aang, middle-aged, flying along the streets in Republic City, chasing someone. Master Katara, younger than the one Korra knew, fighting alongside a red-haired woman, their bodies suddenly stopping and twisting violently, and then -_

_She glided smoothly along the ice, practicing a spin._

_“You’re doing great Korra!” Bolin encouraged her, and she smiled, and laughed, but when she looked he was nowhere to be seen._

_Still, she kept skating, even though her feet were starting to feel heavy._

_In the middle of the ice, Meelo was balancing on his staff, his whole body up in the air, and he was wearing a probending uniform. “Be the leaf!” he called to her, before flipping off of his staff and literally flying away._

_And suddenly the spinning gates were on the ice, whirling away, and Korra charged at them. The first gate almost hit her, but she moved just in time. She spun quickly around and dodged the next gate, and the next, and the next, and she was doing it! She was doing it! She was –_

_She slid out the other side, and suddenly the ground felt like it was moving beneath her, and she wobbled unsteadily.  She regained her balance, and looked up, and stopped breathing._

_“Avatar Korra,” Amon said, standing across from her. He was holding his hands behind his back, his head tilted just a little to one side. Around him, Equalists with glowing eyes formed from the shadows, and grabbed her arms and her legs and pulled her down, and she tried to scream but she made no sound._

_Amon walked toward her slowly, confidently, not bothered by her struggles, and he lifted his hand as he drew closer._

_Suddenly she could see in the background, her family and Bolin and Mako and Tenzin and Pema and the kids all tied up, staring at her, looking bruised and battered._

_“Avatar Aang would never have allowed this to happen,” Amon said, placing his hand on her forehead. “Once I take away your bending, you will be **nothing**.”_

Korra’s eyes snapped open.

The sheets were tangled around her legs like seaweed, but she kicked them off and sat up, running a hand through her hair. 

 _I’mfineI’mfineI’mfine_ , she told herself, taking a deep and shaky breath. For a few moments she just breathed, and then she stood, and stepped into the stance she now knew by heart. Slowly she moved in a circle, her hands up, pushing everything – her attempts at meditation, her feelings for Mako, her dream, everything – out of her mind.

She practiced airbending moves until it started to get lighter outside, and she passed out from pure exhaustion.

(~-~-~-~-~-~)

Senna hummed along to the music coming from the radio, nodding her head a little. She could feel her hands getting wrinkled from the soapy water, but she was getting close to being done. She wiped at the plate in her hands, careful removing any signs of food, and then handed the plate to Tonraq.

He accepted the plate with a smile, drying it quickly and putting it away while she scrubbed at another dish.

“Thanks so much for tackling that,” Pema said from behind them, the rag she’d been using for dusting in her right hand, the left massaging at her back.

Senna waved her hand, accidentally flicking a little water on the floor. “No problem. We’re more than happy to help out however we can around here, especially since we’re still trying to find some work in the city.”

“Until then,” Tonraq added, taking the next dish from Senna’s hands and drying it,  “Washing dishes is the least we can afford to do to repay you and Tenzin for all that you’ve done for Korra.”

Pema smiled, her eyes crinkling at the edges. “We’ll see if you have the same upbeat attitude when I take you up on your offer of watching the kids!”

Senna chuckled and Tonraq laughed, the sound loud and rumbling in his chest. With a wave, Pema walked over to the table, wiping her cloth on its surface.

Tonraq turned to Senna again, holding out his hand for the dish, only to blink in surprise as she flicked soapy water at his face. She giggled as he grinned lopsidedly at her, and then she squealed as his arms wrapped around her and he buried his face in her neck, blowing his lips against her skin with a _pbbbt_ sound.

Senna pushed at him with her wet hands, laughing, when a familiar voice caught her attention, and she stepped toward the radio sitting on the counter, turning it up.

Korra’s voice issued from the device, crackling a little. “… _have again successfully captured a group of Equalist trainees. They’ll be held in jail to await trial.”_

Senna exchanged a look with Tonraq, both the dishes and playfulness forgotten. His eyebrows furrowed, and he stepped closer as well. Tarrlok’s voice came next, and Senna scowled at the sound.

_“Thanks to Avatar Korra bravely answering the call for action, we have been able to make some real headway. With the two of us leading the task force, there is nothing to fear from Amon and the Equalists.”_

Senna bit her lip, trying to feel positive at the notion, when another reporter spoke.

_“Question for the Avatar! Despite this progress, Amon still remains at large. Why have you failed to locate him?”_

Tonraq’s fists clenched and Senna’s teeth mashed together at the notion that Amon’s continued presence was somehow Korra’s fault, but Korra spoke quickly, distracting her from such thoughts.

 _“You want to know why?”_ Korra demanded, and Senna could easily picture the expression on Korra’s face, the confident way she would stand. _“Because Amon is hiding in the shadows like a coward. Amon, I challenge you to a duel-”_

Korra was still talking, but Senna didn’t hear it, dropping the dish in her hands in the sink with a loud _splash_.

(~-~-~-~-~-~-~)

Korra could see her mom and dad and Tenzin waiting for her at the docks. She took a deep breath, steeling herself for their reaction. She knew that they wanted to keep her safe, but they just didn’t understand. She had to do this.

She was fine.

The ferry reached the dock, and Korra had barely stepped off of it when all three of them approached her. She looked up at them calmly.

“Korra, you are _not_ doing this,” Senna said fiercely, stopping right in front of her with her arms tightly crossed.

“I am,” Korra responded, crossing her arms as well. “I’m doing this and you guys can’t stop me.”

Tonraq raised his eyebrows while Senna drew in a furious breath, opening her mouth to shout, but Tonraq put a hand on her arm to stop her. “Korra,” her dad said slowly, “We don’t want you fighting Amon. We forbid it.”

“Forbid it?” Korra demanded, gesturing forcefully with her hands. “What are you going to do, drag me back to my room and lock me in there?" 

“If we have to.” Senna replied, her voice like steel. Korra scowled.

“Korra, please,” Tenzin interjected, laying his hands on her shoulders. “This is not a good idea. If you are hoping to lure Amon out, there are better ways to do it.”

Korra shook her head, stepping back and out of his hands. “No, Tenzin. I have to do this.”

“This is all that bastard Tarrlok’s fault!” Tonraq declared, glaring back out at the city. “If he hadn’t-”

“Tarrlok tried to talk me out of it too, dad,” Korra said. “Look, I’m going no matter what you say. I have to face Amon.” She took a deep breath and turned back around to get on the ferry again, but her mom’s hand grabbed her arm. 

“Korra,” Senna’s voice was softer now, and Korra whirled around to see tears in her eyes. Senna dropped her hand, and Korra fought past the lump in her throat.

“Mom,” she said. “I’m sorry. I have to do this.”

“Kor…” Tonraq began, and Korra hated how frightened and sad he looked, his hand halfway extended toward her, like he wanted to pull her back toward him. “We know that we can’t really stop you, if you’re determined to go, but _please_. Don’t do this. It’s too dangerous.”

Korra smiled a little, but it felt more like a grimace. “I’m the Avatar, dad. My whole life I’m going to be doing dangerous things. I might as well get used to it.”

She stepped back onto the ferry again, signaling to the captain that she was ready. It slowly started moving again, and she watched her family for a long moment as they drifted back from the dock and toward Amon. Then she steeled herself and turned around, facing the meeting place.

 _I’m fine_ , she told herself. _I’ll get through this and make this up to them later._

It didn’t take long for the ferry to reach the Avatar Aang memorial island. It was small, most of it taken up by the gigantic statue that sat on top of a squat and round open air, almost temple-like building. The building and the statue were held up with huge stone columns, and the patches of grass and bushes artfully surrounding it were perfectly trimmed, lining the circular sidewalk From what Korra understood, during the day tourists and locals could visit the island to read plaques on the wall detailing Avatar Aang’s history, and they could even light candles or incense in remembrance.

The ferry docked, and Korra firmly told the captain to leave her there. If Amon did show up she didn’t want the man to get caught in the crossfire. The captain was hesitant, but ultimately did as she asked. A few minutes later and he was gone, leaving Korra alone on the island, the statue of Avatar Aang towering over her, taller than anything she’d ever seen before. 

For a moment she simply stared up at it. From this angle she couldn’t see his face as well, and certainly not his endlessly staring eyes. “This is what you would do, isn’t it?” She asked the statue, not even bothering to raise her voice. “Take out the bad guy by yourself, where no one else would get hurt.” 

Of course, there was no reply, and Korra walked up the slight hill to the sidewalk surrounding the empty building. The darkness and heavy shadows made it almost impossible to see inside it, but she didn’t want to go in there anyway. She wanted to be out where she could see Amon, where he couldn’t hide so easily.  

A slight breeze blew, making her hair tickle her shoulders, but other than that the night was still, quiet. If she listened hard enough, she could just make out some sounds from the city, but it was largely muffled, as though the city was even further away than it seemed. She couldn’t hear any birds, and she knew that the flying lemurs from Air Temple Island never came out this far. The waves lapped gently against the island, back and forth, perfectly in time. The moonlight gave everything a sort of glow to it, especially the sidewalk, and the columns that weren’t in shadow.

She walked around the island, following the perfectly round sidewalk, trying to focus on her breathing and staying relaxed, while also being ready for any sort of sudden movement. It would be hard for Amon to come up to the island without her noticing at least, and she was glad to have the advantage of arriving first.

The minutes trickled by. Every second drew her nerves tighter, like the string on an instrument, waiting, waiting, _waiting_. It felt like she’d been there for over an hour at least, but there was still no sign of anyone or anything.

The clock in Republic City – easily the loudest thing from over there – chimed thunderously, and Korra jumped, automatically going into a fighting stance, whirling around, her heart pounding. Almost immediately she realized her mistake, and actually laughed out loud, straightening up and relaxing.

 _See?_ She thought triumphantly, walking again, trying not to focus on the sheer relief that made her limbs almost shaky. _He’s a coward. All he can do is- is put up a bunch of posters and try to scare people. When it comes to a real fight, he’d rather hide._  

“Guess you’re a no-show, Amon,” She said to the quiet world around her. “Who’s scared now?” 

Korra was almost done with her final trip around, and then she would leave. She stretched her arms above her head, yawning a little. _Maybe mom and dad will be so relieved that nothing happened that they won’t punish me for not listening to them,_ she thought without much hope. Still, she knew that she had hurt and worried them, and that fact ate at her, making her stomach feel as though it was tied in knots.

She passed the base of the statue, trying to think of ways to make it up to them in addition to apologizing, putting her hands in her pockets, starting to whistle a familiar tune-

-something wrapped around her legs and pulled.

Korra slammed to the ground, a strangled shriek escaping her as the bola around her legs pulled her into the darkness of the building. _Nononononono-_  

She kicked the bola off, jumping to her feet and swinging her leg in a wide arc, fire flying out from her, temporarily illuminating the shadows to see at least five Equalists waiting for her, their goggles practically glowing in the sudden light. Korra spun again, but before she could make so much as another flicker of fire, whips shot out, cracking loudly in the air, wrapping around both of her wrists. Hissing with pain, Korra pulled sharply on the whips, hearing with slight satisfaction the stumbling of the Equalists as they were pulled forward with her.

She jumped, kicking out, feeling the earth move underneath her and shoot toward at least one Equalist member judging by the grunt she heard, turning and shooting out fire with her left foot before they could come at her again. In the brief light she saw an Equalist nimbly dodge her fire, but then something hit her hard in the back and she fell to her knees, gasping. Hands quickly hit several pressure points on her back and neck, and her body felt even weaker. It took all of her strength to simply stay upright.

She could hear them breathing now, all around her, and she squinted against the sudden light as one of them lit a lantern with a match. The small firelight made the Equalists and their shadows seem unnaturally tall and long, looming over her like indistinct figures from her nightmares.

Korra’s eyes flicked around the room, panting, fighting to get back just enough strength to knock these fuckers on their backs and –

And Amon stepped out of the shadows.

She felt her breath catch with an almost strangled sound. He walked toward her slowly, softly, his feet barely making any sound. “Avatar Korra,” he inclined his head toward her. “I received your invitation.”

 _This is a dream,_ she told herself. _I’ll wake up any second and it will have just been a nightmare, this isn’t real this isn’t REAL-_

Amon stopped just in front of her. He bent forward slightly, reaching a hand out toward her face. Korra jerked her chin back, heart pounding, a slight cry escaping her before she could stop it.

Amon kept reaching for her, taking her chin in his cool hands. She flinched, staring up at the empty eyes of his mask helplessly. He tilted his head at her curiously, like an animal, as if she were a mildly strange and entertaining show.

“Our confrontation,” he began, his voice seeming to reverberate in her very bones, “While inevitable, is premature. Although it would be simplest for me to take away your bending right now-” his thumb traced her cheek, and for a moment Korra couldn’t breathe – “I won’t. You’d only become a martyr.”

She breathed again, and glared at him, pulling again with her wrists, if she could only get her _hands_ on him- 

Amon continued talking as if she hadn’t moved. “Benders of every nation would rally around your untimely demise, but I have a plan.” He leaned closer, so that her eyes and the blank eyes of his mask were level, and all she could do was stare at him in horror. “I’m saving you for last,” he said, his voice not-quite a whisper. “Then you will get your duel, and I _will_ destroy you.”

Before she could do more than let out a small, terrified, breath, Amon jabbed her hard in the back, the world swam before her eyes, and everything went dark.

_Color. Sounds. Twisting. Fighting to move, can’t move, something holding him there, a man smirking, holding out his hands in front of him._

_Aang reached out, fighting the suffocating pull in his body, Toph and Sokka convulsing, fear and panic flashing across their faces as the man laughed._

_“YAKONE!” Aang screamed, letting go, letting the Avatar State take hold-_

She blinked. Her face was pressed against something hard and cold, and everything was hazy, colors and shapes bleeding together. She blinked again, struggling to lift her head off of the ground.

In the distance, in the moonlight, a figure in billowing orange and yellow robes ran toward her, flanked by two other figures.

“Aang?” Korra mumbled, managing to push herself up a little bit. Then their voices came to her, and with it everything sharpened into focus.

“Korra! _Korra_!”

Her parents and Tenzin rushed toward her, surrounding her on all sides, helping her to her knees. Her mom flung her arms around Korra, her dad just moments behind her.

“Are you all right?” Tenzin asked as her parents drew back, both of them checking her all over for injuries.

Korra nodded, reveling in the warmth of her parents’ arms for a moment. “Yeah, I’m fine. Really, mom, dad, I’m fine.”

Tonraq ran his hand down her hair. “Are you sure, Kor?”

“Did…” Tenzin hesitated. “Did Amon…take your bending?”

Senna, who had been busy rubbing her hand on Korra’s arm, stilled.

Korra lifted her palm, and made a small flame appear in it. She put it out, shaking her head. “Guess not.”

The three of them visibly relax, Korra staring past them, out at the ocean that she could see through the gaps in the columns. A painful lump was rising in her throat, and her vision began to swim again, but for another reason entirely.

Senna pressed a kiss to the side of her head. “We’re so glad you’re okay, sweetie,” she said, hugging her again. Korra tried to blink her tears away, but it was no use, and with a sob she clutched at her mom’s arm around her shoulders, her other hand finding her dad as his arms wound around her again.

“I- I’m so, so sorry,” She gasped, struggling to breathe, the tears like ice on her face. “I- I shouldn’t have – I couldn’t – " 

“Shh,” Senna whispered, her hand rubbing soothingly on Korra’s back.

“It’s okay, Korra,” Her dad said, his voice rumbling against her ear, which was pressed into the side of his chest. “We’re here. Everything’s okay.”

Korra shook her head rapidly, pushing them away a little bit so that she had space to look at Tenzin. “No- no – “

He kneeled in front of her, placing his hand on her arm, his eyebrows pulled down in sympathy and concern.

“It – it was just like you said,” she sobbed, wiping pathetically at her eyes, “I was scared, I was so _scared_ , and I couldn’t – “

“Korra,” Tenzin said softly. “Your parents are right. It’s okay. It’s okay to be scared.”

She shook her head again. “I’ve never – never felt like this before. I’ve been scared this whole time, and I just – “ Her voice broke, and she let out a shaky breath.

Senna tucked some hair behind Korra’s ear. “What is it, sweetie?”

Korra shook her head again, but didn’t say anything else. Her breathing was calmer, and she blinked the last few tears away, the water leaving long streaks down her face. She rubbed her arm across her running nose, sniffling a little.

“Come on,” Tonraq suggested after a few long moments of silence. “Let’s go home, Kor. We’ll make you some warm tea, and we’ll stay up with you as long as you need." 

Together, he and Senna pulled Korra to her feet, Tenzin rising with them. They started to walk outside, Tenzin following behind them, when Korra stopped.

“Mom, dad, I…” She let out another slightly shaking breath. “I need to talk to Tenzin for a moment. “I’ll be right out. I promise.”

Senna and Tonraq exchanged glances, and then Tonraq nodded slowly, kissing the top of Korra’s head, while Senna gave her another hug. “We’ll be right outside,” Senna told her, both of them stepping back. Their hands remained interlocked for a moment, and then their fingers slid apart, and Senna and Tonraq walked on ahead.

Korra was still facing away from him, so Tenzin approached her gently, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Korra?”

She turned toward him then, her eyes shining with unshed tears. “I just don’t know what to _do_ , Tenzin,” she whispered.

He put both hands on her shoulders. “Korra, it’s okay. If you want to talk about all of this, or take a break for a while, that is fine. Everyone will understand. You have people who love you and are here for you.”

“Take a break?” She repeated bitterly. “I’m the Avatar. That’s an all-the-time job.” She looked up at the ceiling for a moment. “Avatar Aang was probably never afraid like this, and he didn’t just stop – “ 

“Korra,” Tenzin cut across her, frowning a little. “There are a lot of things that my father was afraid of. Facing Firelord Ozai was just one of them. Being the Avatar doesn’t mean that you aren’t allowed to be scared, Korra.”

She looked at the ground, remembering Yrak’s words in her head. _You’re the Avatar. You have to get it right._ “I can’t afford to feel this way, Tenzin, not when everyone is depending on me.”

He squeezed her shoulders, and after a moment of hesitation, pulled her into an embrace. “Korra, the burden on your shoulders is difficult, and it isn’t fair. Oftentimes I think the world asks too much of the Avatar.” He pulled back a little, looking her in the eyes. “But contrary to what the history books say, my father did not win the war on his own. He wasn’t alone, and neither are you. It’s okay to depend on other people sometimes. And,” he offered a small smile, “being able to admit to your fears, like you are now, is the first step to overcoming them. Being brave doesn’t mean that you aren’t scared. Being brave means feeling fear and still fighting anyway.”

Korra looked away. “Then I’m not brave,” she admitted. “Because seeing Amon…hearing his voice…it makes me freeze up.”

He squeezed her shoulders again. “I believe in you.”

Korra sighed a little. “I know that I’m the Avatar, Tenzin, but - ”

He shook his head, and cut across her words. “Not because you’re the Avatar. Because you’re Korra. That’s why I believe in you.”

For a second she just looked up at him with wide eyes, blinking, and then she hugged him, unable to speak around the tightness in her throat, her eyes filling with tears again. After a moment, his arms wrapped around her as well, warm and comforting, and they stayed like that for quite some time.

Then, Tenzin spoke to her in a soft voice. “Let’s go home, Korra.” He helped her to her feet, and they walked out together, where her parents were waiting.

Korra smiled, wiping at her eyes. She’d lived in the White Lotus compound in the south for most of her life, but for the first time she was finally in a place that truly felt like home. 

(~-~-~-~-~-~)

 

Back inside the memorial, someone watched them walk away, the moonlight glinting eerily against the goggles they wore over their eyes. They watched until Avatar Korra and Tenzin were out of sight, and then they moved back into the shadows.

They had to get back to base. There was much that they had to tell Amon.


	9. Chapter Nine: The Spirit of Competition

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DISC: I DO NOT own any characters you recognize from LOK. They belong to Bryke. Some of the dialogue was taken from episode transcripts.
> 
> As a fun little sidenote, several of the scenes in this chapter were some of the first ones I ever wrote for this story, though they've changed a bit since the original version. Enjoy, and as always reviews are very appreciated. Happy holidays!
> 
> Other notes: You'll notice that I didn't go with the "overprotective dad" trope for Tonraq. For one thing, I think that trope is overused. Sometimes it can be fun, but overall I'm kind of done with it. For another, I think Tonraq would just be happy that his daughter gets to do things like dating now, so he wouldn't have any issue with it, and would just want her to have a good time. Plus, he likes Bolin.  
> Also, look close for a hint about Bolin's bisexuality. :) Oh, and yes I did kind of reference Spirited Away during this opening scene, with some of the descriptions. It was intentional, meant as a small homage.
> 
> For those that haven't seen it, I actually made a Borra AMV ages ago. I still feel fairly proud of it, so if you're interested, check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wUzK8ySLgw
> 
> Beta-ing credit for this and future chapters goes to my new beta, Writing4Ever4God. Thanks again!

* * *

 

_The ground was cold._

_He tucked his fists under his armpits, shivering, and curled his knees to his chest. They didn’t have a fire. Mako hadn’t been able to firebend since –_

_Bolin shuddered, not from the cold this time. Mako had tried to keep him from seeing, but there’d been one second where he had seen them, just lying there, and nothing Mako could have done would’ve hidden the **smell** of their burned bodies. _

_He leaned on Mako’s shoulder, and Mako put his arm around him, rubbing his hand up and down Bolin’s arm._

_Around them there were other people huddling close together or sleeping, rolled up with the garbage. It stunk so badly Bolin wanted to throw up, and he pressed his mouth and nose against Mako to try and make it stop._

_Bolin heard footsteps, a lot of them, coming closer.  He looked up, holding tighter to Mako._

_It was daylight, but it had been night only moments before. Bolin blinked. There was a man standing over them, silhouetted in the sun. The man leaned down a little, his smile too wide, showing all of his teeth. It made Bolin think for one wild moment that he wanted to eat them up, but the man moved a little and he saw that it was Shady Shin._

_“Hey there kids,” He purred._

_Mako stood up, and Bolin was with him seconds later.  This wasn’t right, Mako was older now, and so was he. Bolin felt like there was something about all of it that he was missing – the answer just slipping out of his grasp, and then Shin was talking again._

_“You look hungry,” Shin said, still smiling, and there was something **wrong** about the way he looked. Like his teeth were **just** too sharp and his face was just a little too long, pointed and thin, like a long-dead corpse. His smile grew, and his tongue flicked out between his teeth: it was forked and long, like a serpent’s._

_Bolin tugged on Mako’s sleeve, trying to tell him that something was wrong with Shin, that he was bad, but Mako didn’t seem to notice.  He used one arm to keep Bolin pushed back behind him._

_“What do you want?” Mako demanded._

_“To help,” Shin replied, and his voice was like a hiss. “You help me, I help you. It’s a mutually beneficial relationship.” He held out his hands to Mako, and yuans tumbled out of them, seeming to multiply by the second. His fingers were like claws, curving up and around the money._

_“What do you say, boy?” Shin asked.  He was suddenly taller somehow, bent at the back, still looming over both of them, but Mako still didn’t notice._

_Instead, Mako glanced back at Bolin, and for a second Bolin was distracted by how thin Mako’s face was. His cheeks were hollowed; his lips dry and cracked, dark circles like bruises under his eyes, and dirt on his face that made his skin seem darker. Bolin knew he didn’t look any better, and Mako nodded, still looking at Bolin._

_“Okay,” Mako said, turning back toward Shin. “We’ll help you.”_

_“Mako, no!” Bolin cried, trying to pull his arm back, but Mako didn’t listen._

_He put his hand in Shin’s, on top of the yuans, and Shin’s claws lengthened, growing around Mako’s hand, the points stabbing into his arm._

_Bolin tried to pull Mako back, but Shin was dragging him along, and soon they had vanished into the dark shadows of the alley. Bolin ran after them, but his feet seemed to stick to the ground, like something was pulling at them, tangling around them, dragging him down. He fought it off, earthbending himself forward instead. He fell, and rolled a little, but then he could run._

_“Mako!” He called. “Mako!” Only his own voice came back to him in an echo that seemed to come from every direction. **MakoMakoMakoMakoMako –**_

_The buildings on either side curved over his head like tree branches, and seemed to move closer and closer as he ran. He kept calling for his brother, but there was no answer. His own voice was chasing him, following him, getting louder and louder._

_Finally Bolin burst free from the alley, from the shadows, and it was nighttime again. The street was empty. The streetlights were lit, but there was no sound, and no sign of anyone._

_Suddenly, a hand grabbed his, and he whirled around, but it was only Korra._

_“Oh,” He said, like he’d been expecting her. “It’s you.”_

_“Of course it’s me,” She said, smiling and squeezing his hand in her own. Her eyes were so pretty and blue and bright, especially in the darkness of the night._

_He smiled back, but then felt a flash of confusion. Why was Korra there? She hadn’t been there before, when Shin had come to them –_

_Like she was reading his mind she started pulling him along._

_“Come on,” Korra said. “Let’s go find Mako!”_

_“Yeah,” he said, struggling to keep up with her. “I’m kind of scared – “_

_She laughed, loudly, harshly. “Of course you are,” She said. “Mako’s not around to protect you.”_

_He ducked his head. She was right. But then he frowned again. She was right, but Korra would never say that, Korra would never – she was too nice and too good –_

_Suddenly she stopped, and turned around, and she was hugging him, her body warm and soft and strong against his._

_“I’m sorry Bo,” She said in his ear, and he shivered pleasurably at the sound, at her closeness. She pulled back, but kept her arms wrapped around him. Then she leaned forward and kissed him quickly, so quickly he almost didn’t think that it happened, and then he couldn’t believe that it had._

_She smiled again, and took his hand like it was the most natural thing in the world, and started leading him along again._

_He knew it would be all right, then. Korra was there with him. With her, he could face anything._

_They ran for what felt like a long time. It was still dark everywhere else, and it was only the streetlights and Korra’s hand leading him along that kept him from getting lost. He knew these streets but he also didn’t know them at the same time._

_Bolin was finding it difficult to breathe. It felt like there was a band around his chest, tightening and tightening, and he tried to tell Korra what was happening, but his voice wouldn’t work right, and only came out a whisper._

_“Korra,” He said, but it was still too quiet, and she didn’t hear him. She stopped, and he almost crashed into her, but then he saw what was in front of them._

_Mako, forced to his knees, held back by heavy chains. He was beat up; his nose looked like it was broken, his lip was bloody, and one of his eyes was swollen. He swayed a little on the spot, but didn’t fall over. He wasn’t alone._

_Amon stood next to Mako, and there were at least a thousand Equalists around them. Amon made a gesture, and the Equalists swarmed._

_Korra was fighting back, fighting tooth and nail and easily taking them down. Bolin fought next to her, and he managed to take down several too, but it was harder. He didn’t care – he had to get to Mako. He knew that Korra could handle herself, and he tried to cut through the Equalists to get to Mako, before –_

_Bolin broke through, and Amon turned to face him calmly._

_“I have already taken your brother’s bending,” Amon said._

_“No!” Bolin shouted, and he earthbent the ground under Amon’s feet, but Amon stepped off of the ledge Bolin created like it was nothing, keeping his hands behind his back the whole time._

_“Yes,” Amon said, and with another gesture more Equalists were there, only now they were all wearing masks like Amon’s, no all of them **were** Amon –_

_They held him down, forcing him to his knees._

_Bolin struggled, but couldn’t move.  It was like the ground was pulling him down again, dragging at his shoulders and making every move sluggish._

_Amon walked back toward Mako, who was also struggling in his chains, but he couldn’t go anywhere, and before Bolin could do anything but scream Mako’s name, Amon put his hands around Mako’s neck._

_For a second Bolin couldn’t understand. He’d already taken Mako’s bending, what more could he want? He didn’t understand, even as he felt like he was going to be sick, even as Amon grasped Mako more tightly, and in one fast motion **twisted** and there was a horrible crunching sound and Mako fell to the ground, his neck bent all wrong, his eyes open and staring at Bolin._

_Bolin screamed, and screamed – **Nononononono Mako Mako Mako this has to be a dream no no no** – struggling to get out of the Equalist’ hold but he could barely move, and then Amon was walking toward him, raising his hands._

_“This is your fault,” Amon said. “You weren’t strong enough to save him.”_

_Then Amon was bending over, placing his hands on Bolin’s head, and it felt like lightning flashed through his body, and he knew it was gone, his bending was **gone** –_

_Amon stepped back. “What use do you have now?” Amon asked, and the Equalists holding him let go. Bolin fell forward, just catching himself on his hands, shaking and crying and horribly, utterly, weak._

_And then Korra was there. Korra was there, and she took one look at Mako and she turned to Bolin, crying. “This is your fault!”  She screamed. “ **You** did this! We’d have been better off without you!”_

_He couldn’t say anything, didn’t have a right to say anything because she was right, it was his fault, he’d done it, they would have been better off, it was his fault his fault -_

_And Amon was coming up behind Korra now.  Bolin tried to warn her, tried to call out, but his voice had no sound, and Amon’s hands reached for her –_

“ – lin! Bolin!” Hands were on him, shaking him, and Bolin reacted automatically, swinging wide with his arm and punching whoever was on him, trying to earthbend, but he knew the moment that he moved that there was no earth around for him to bend.

The person holding him sucked in a breath at the punch, but still held on tightly, and then Bolin came to his senses, blinking rapidly and breathing hard.

He wasn’t on the streets. Amon wasn’t there, and neither was Korra. And Mako – Mako was there, his hands on his shoulders, looking at him in concern, wonderfully and gloriously _alive_.

Bolin threw his arms around Mako, holding him tight, not bothering to fight against the tears in his eyes. He knew he shouldn’t cry, but he did. He didn’t say anything, just hugged Mako.

“Hey,” Mako said, and his voice was soft. “Hey, Bo, it’s okay. You’re fine. I’m fine. It’s okay. It’s okay.” He just kept repeating that, over and over, until Bolin’s breathing eased and the tears stopped coming.

He leaned back. Pabu nuzzled at his hands, and Bolin gave a shaky smile, scratching at the fire ferret’s head. Pabu skittered up his chest and onto his shoulder, wrapping around him not unlike Mako’s scarf.

“You…okay?” Mako asked. He glanced down at his hands in his lap and then back up.

Bolin nodded. “Yeah. Yeah, I’m okay.”

Mako nodded too, and smiled a little. “Good. Go back to sleep, Bo. We’ve got a big night tonight.”

Bolin smiled back. “Right, right. Thanks, Mako.”

Mako didn’t respond to that, just stood up. “Get some sleep,” he said again. 

“Kay,” Bolin said, lying back on the bed, untangling the blanket from around his legs. He wasn’t sure how quickly he’d be able to go back to sleep, but he was tired, and he didn’t feel like having his eyes open, so he closed them.

Mako’s hand ghosted through his hair. He’d done that a lot when they were living on the streets: petted or patted him. Bolin knew that even if it took him a while to fall back asleep, it would take Mako even longer, because Mako would wait until he was sure Bolin was sleeping again before going to bed himself.

They did that for each other fairly often. They had nightmares more than they’d care to admit. Mako didn’t like it when Bolin stayed up with him, and would insist that Bolin go back to bed. Bolin would pretend to, but really he’d stay awake and listen to Mako’s breathing, waiting for it to ease and even out.

Bolin listened to Mako’s breathing at that moment too; again comforting himself that Mako was alive. Mako was alive, Korra was safe – they hadn’t gotten hurt because of him.

Eventually he fell asleep, just listening to his brother breathe.

(~-~-~-~-~-~-~) 

Korra took a deep breath, and closed her eyes for a second. Then she opened them and charged forward through the spinning gates. She spun, avoiding each one at the last second, and emerged out the other side without a scratch. She grinned, pumping her fists into the air. 

 _Hell yeah!_ She thought happily. Now that she could do it, she was pretty sure the joy of being able to get through the gates would never wear off. It wasn’t much, but it was a small sign of progress.

She stretched, walking around past the gates. Jinora and Ikki were at the front, waiting to see if she wanted them to set the gates spinning again. 

Korra never thought that it would feel so good to do airbending practice, even though she wasn’t really making much progress. At Tenzin and her parent’s urging, she’d told Tarrlok that she had to cut back time with the task force. She was still working with him, but rather than most nights a week, she’d gone down to one or two. Well, except for this week. With the pro-bending tournament happening that night, she’d taken the whole week off to get in extra practices with Bolin and Mako. Tarrlok hadn’t been pleased about any of it, but he hadn’t done anything to try and stop her either.

Still, she needed to make more progress here, especially since she wasn’t helping the task force as much. If she could crack this airbending thing, she would be an even better asset, and then maybe she could better face Amon –

For a second his face filled her mind, and an icy chill settled over her. She shook it off as best as she could.

She walked back toward the girls. Ikki was bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet, and Jinora was looking mildly annoyed about it, but she brightened when Korra approached.

“So,” Jinora said, grinning. “How’s it going with that tall, dreamy firebender boy?” Her voice became sly, even as Korra froze to the spot. “You two have been spending a _lot_ of time together lately.”

Ikki’s eyes widened. “Oooooh! Yeah, Korra! Tell us about your _magical_ romance!” She clasped her hands together in front of her, almost literal hearts in her eyes at the thought.

Korra felt her face getting hot, and stuttered out a response. “That’s not – I – I mean, Mako and I aren’t – there’s no magical romance, I promise.” She laughed a little, but it sounded off. “Besides, he’s got a pretty, rich, prissy girlfriend now.” She bit her lip, and then added. “But, uh, hypothetically, if I was interested in him…” She rocked back and forth nervously on her heels. “What would you say I should do?”

 _I can’t believe I’m asking kids for romantic advice,_ She thought, fighting the urge to smack her own forehead. She had a horrible feeling that they probably _did_ know more about the subject than she did, though. 

“Ooh!” Jinora’s eyes practically sparkled. “I just read this historical saga about a forbidden love between the heroine and the son of her enemy! You should do what she did!”

Korra perked up a little. _Well, Tenzin does want me to learn from history,_ she thought wryly. “Oh yeah? What did she do?”

Jinora grinned. “She rode a dragon into battle and burned down an entire country!” She declared excitedly, and Korra frowned. “Then she jumped into a volcano,” Jinora added, sighing a little. “It was _so_ romantic.”

Korra blinked at her. “Ah…I don’t think – “

“No, wait!” Ikki cut across her. “You should brew a love potion!” She said, and then she started speaking more rapidly, to the point where she was difficult to understand. Something about rainbows and sunsets and wings? Korra stared at her in confusion as Ikki actually airbended herself a little into the air with her enthusiasm.

When Ikki paused to take a breath, Korra spoke before she could start again. “That volcano is starting to make more sense to me now.”

Someone laughed behind them, and Korra jumped, turning around. Pema was standing there, one hand on her hip, looking slightly amused.

Korra laughed awkwardly. “Hey, Pema. Uh…how much of that did you hear?”

“Most of it,” Pema said lightly, walking closer. She shrugged. “But I actually kind of know what you’re going through.”

Korra cocked her head to the side. “You do?”

Jinora and Ikki looked highly interested, and scooted closer.

Pema smiled, and then looked at her daughters. “Girls, why don’t you let me and Korra talk privately for a bit?”

“Awwww, but –“ Jinora began.

“Mooooommmm – “ Ikki whined.

Pema’s eyes narrowed a little. “ _Girls_ ,” she said firmly.

Jinora and Ikki huffed a little.

“Fiiinneeee,” Ikki said, and Jinora sighed.

“Oh, by the way,” Pema said, eyeing her oldest daughter. “Jinora, remind me to tell you why jumping into a volcano over a boy isn’t romantic. It’s stupid.”

Jinora pouted, but Ikki laughed.

“I could have told you that,” Ikki said, getting out her glider.

Jinora scowled, but her retort was lost on the wind as they glided off, squabbling.

Pema shook her head, staring after them for a second. Then she turned back to Korra.

“If you want, I can leave and you can talk with your mother about this instead,” Pema offered.

Korra bit her lip. She did kind of want to talk to her mom about it, but Pema was already there, and Korra was also curious about what she’d meant about knowing how Korra felt.

“No,” Korra said. “That’s okay. I’ll talk to her later.”

Pema nodded. “All right then.” She walked a little closer, making her way toward a bench at the side of the path. She stopped just in front of it, and looked over at Korra again. She hesitated a little, and then asked:

“Why do you like Mako, Korra?”

Korra felt her cheeks getting hotter, but she knew there was no point denying it now.

“Well,” She stopped, thinking. It was hard to think of what to say. “He’s a great fighter!” She began, pumping her fist, grinning. “He’s…well, he’s handsome!” She looked down at her feet. “And…”

“And what?”

Korra frowned. “Well, he’s-” she stopped. It was hard to put into words the way she felt around him, how determined she was to get him to praise her, how triumphant she felt the few times she could. The rush of envy she felt every time she saw him with Asami.

“He’s-” She growled, stomping the ground, a little bit of fire flowing from her fists as she clenched them. An idea struck her and she stood straighter again, victorious. “He’s a good brother!” She crossed her arms, fighting the urge to say ‘so there!’ like one of the airbending kids might have.

Pema turned her head a little to the side, smiling just a little, an eyebrow raised. “Korra,” She gestured to the bench. “Sit down.”

Korra hesitated, feeling a little as if she were about to get a lecture from the White Lotus about her shortcomings again.

Pema smiled, sitting down with some difficulty. Korra sat next to her, clasping her fingers in her lap. What Pema said next made her mouth fall open.

“Tenzin was in love with someone else before I married him, you know.”

“What?” Korra nearly stood up in shock. Stoic as Tenzin was most of the time, when he was with Pema it was similar to how her parents acted around each other. She couldn’t imagine him with anyone else.

Pema laughed. “Well, truthfully they were growing apart. I’ve always known him well, and everyone could tell except the person he was with. But I knew that I loved Tenzin, and I thought that he felt the same way, so I took a chance, and told him how I felt.”

Korra felt hope rising in her. Maybe she could handle this after all. “So I should just march up and tell him?”

Pema put a hand on her shoulder. “Not quite. I knew I loved Tenzin. And I knew that I loved him because I knew him. Inside and out. I could sit here all day and talk about why I love him – how he’s patient and kind, more stubborn than he seems, competitive even though he’d deny it.” She laughed. “I could talk about his eyes, or his beard. Or how I think his shaved head is cute. And I could say even more, Korra. He could say just as much about me.”

Korra stood furiously. “So, what, just because I can’t list off a million reasons, that means I don’t love Mako?”

Pema shook her head. “Korra. I’m saying that maybe you aren’t focusing on him the way you should be. I’m not saying that you and Mako won’t end up together. I’m saying that you have to get to know him better before you’re sure. Take a chance when you love someone, but be sure that you love them the way you think you do first.”

She looked at Korra seriously. “How often do you just…do things with him? What do you really know about what he likes or what he feels? Does he make you laugh? Do you make him laugh? How comfortable do you feel around him? These are all important things to consider before you try to get in a relationship with anyone – especially someone that’s already _in_ a relationship. And…” Pema paused, then went on.

“It also might be a good idea to consider the idea that he might be happy in that relationship. In my situation with Tenzin, he was pretty miserable. Him and his then-girlfriend were fighting constantly, and on the verge of breaking up as it was. If Mako is happy with this girl, and if you do love him, then you should respect that.” She put a hand on Korra’s shoulder for a moment. “Either way, you should be patient, and wait until you know things for sure.”

With that, Pema eased herself to her feet, and walked back along the path to her home.

Korra kicked at a pebble on the ground, watching her go. _Mako’s great! He’s- well, he’s great!_ Korra kicked the wall this time, feeling the earth bend beneath her feet, cracking it a little. _Pema’s wrong. I mean, we’re different people! How can she know what I’m feeling?_ Korra stepped back, looking at the cracked wall, her shoulders slumping, feeling suddenly ashamed. _Wait until I’m sure? Why is it that the things I’m supposed to be doing are all the things I’m awful at?_

(~-~-~-~-~-~-~) 

Korra ducked at a shot of flame that came at her, and fired back with water at the opposing team. The water hit the Rabaroo’s firebender straight on, and the girl went flying off the edge and into the water below. Korra smirked, spinning around an earth disk that Bolin had just dodged in front of her.

Feinting left, Bolin managed to take out the waterbender girl with his earth disk, sending her toppling over the side with a slight shriek. He caught her eye and grinned, and she grinned back as Mako made short work of the last Rabaroo team member.

As the opposing earthbender girl fell into the water below, the announcer’s voice echoed around them and the crowd cheered.

“And the win goes to the Fire Ferrets!” The announcer crowed, and Korra pumped her fist into the air as the crowd got even louder. She laughed a little – even at this distance she could make out her dad’s distinctive cheer.

Korra moved a little closer to Mako and Bolin, waving at the crowd with them as the platform carried them back to their locker room.

“Aaaaall right!” Bolin pumped his fist. “That’s what I’m talkin’ about!” He shouted back to the fans, grinning broadly. “Thank you! Thanks to all of you fans!”

Korra smiled a little. Bolin always thanked the fans after every match. As they stepped off of the platform into the locker room, he stayed by the railing, waving at the fans, and even striking a few poses. Korra chuckled, shaking her head a little. _He can be so cute_ , she thought, feeling warmer at the sight of him.

Mako’s voice caught her attention. “Wow,” he said, looking more relaxed than she’d ever thought he could be. “We are really connecting out there tonight.”

Korra found it difficult to speak for a second, but then managed: “Y- yeah! You know, I feel like we’re really um, _connecting_ , outside of the ring too.”

Mako gave her a weird look, taking off his helmet. “Uh, sure. I guess so.”

 _So far so good,_ Korra thought. Maybe she could take Pema’s advice, and spend more time with him. “So, um, I was thinking maybe we could spend some more time together.”

Mako looked more confused. “We’ve been spending lots of time together, especially since you cut back with the task force.” He turned to his locker, starting to take off the rest of his gear.

Korra nodded, looking down at the ground and then back up. “Well, yeah, I just – I mean, outside of the gym, y’know?” She laughed a little self-consciously. “Besides rescuing family members and fighting chi-blockers.”

Mako froze for a second. “Well,” he said slowly. “I guess we could.”

Korra straightened. Maybe that was her signal! Maybe that was enough indication that she should just jump in!

“I want to spend a lot of time with Asami though – “ Mako went on, but Korra was already talking.

“I really like you and I think we should be together!” She blurted. Heat flashed across her face, and she hid her face a little with her arm.

There was a long pause, and Korra felt like her heart was in her throat. She couldn’t breathe. She peeked around her arm to see Mako looking at her with…pity? She lowered her arm slowly, her stomach feeling tight.

Mako let out a breath. “Korra, I’m…I’m sorry, but I just don’t feel the same way.” He turned awkwardly back toward his locker.

Korra felt tears prick at her eyes, but she blinked rapidly, her shoulders slumping. “Oh,” she said, her voice was softer than normal, matching her mother’s usual tone. “Forget I said anything.” She walked over to the bench and sat down, feeling heavier.

At that moment, Asami walked in through the door, and Korra stiffened.

“You guys were amazing out there,” Asami gushed, and Korra didn’t turn around to look at her, though she could hear the typical sound of Asami and Mako kissing. She slumped over even further.  She didn’t want to see Asami right now and feel even worse that she couldn’t measure up to the beautiful girl.

“Hey, Korra!”

She looked up, seeing Bolin walking toward her, still grinning. He faltered a little, and frowned when he came closer, his head turning a little to the side.

“You okay?” he asked.

Korra nodded, sitting straighter and giving him a wan smile. “I’m fine. What’s up?”

Bolin gave her a look that showed he clearly didn’t believe her, but then he brightened. “Well,” he began, “I was thinking that we could go to dinner together, to celebrate!” His cheeks reddened. “A – a kind of date, situation.”

Korra blinked at him, her mouth opening a little. _Why would Bolin want to go out with me? He…likes me?_ Her heart thudded a little in her chest, and she felt suddenly nervous. “I- I’m sorry Bolin, that’s sweet, but I don’t feel really date-worthy right now.”

It was Bolin’s turn to look surprised. “Are you kidding me?” He asked. “Of course you are!” He said it like it was obvious. “You’re the smartest, funniest, toughest, buffest, talented-est, incredible-est girl in the world!”

Korra smiled, warmth blooming in her chest, feeling like a weight was lifted off of her shoulders. She chuckled a little, blushing. “You…really feel that way about me?”

Bolin looked directly at her, his green eyes earnest. “I’ve felt that way since the moment I _met_ you!” He leaned a little closer, and his smile softened. “You don’t have to if you don’t want to,” he said, and Korra felt her smile widening, remembering the night at the gala when he’d said something similar.

“But, it would be fun,” he finished, still looking her right in the eyes. She noticed his cheeks were still kind of red, and his eyes flicked at the floor and then up at her again.

Korra nodded, stepping toward him, grinning now. “You know what? You’re right. Yeah. I could use a little fun.”

Bolin’s face broke out into the widest smile she’d ever seen on him, which was really saying something. “Yes!” He held out his hand palm out, and Korra high-fived him with a giggle.

“Who’s the luckiest guy in the world?” Bolin asked as they walked out together. “This guy!” He pointed at himself, and Korra laughed again. For a second, it was easy to forget about what had just happened with Mako in the locker room.

They came across her mom and dad in the hallway. They had been on their way to congratulate her, and beamed at the both of them.

“Korra!” Senna ran up to her and hugged her tightly, Tonraq not far behind. “You were wonderful, sweetie,” Senna said, pulling back so that Tonraq could give her a quick kiss on the forehead.

“You kicked ass,” Tonraq declared, and Korra laughed again. He put his hand on her shoulder. “We are so proud of you,” He added.  For a second Korra felt another prick of tears at her eyes, and she blinked them back a second time, and smiled, hugging them both again.

“You did great too, Bolin,” Senna said warmly, giving Bolin a quick hug as well. Bolin looked kind of startled – he always did whenever Senna or Pema treated him affectionately. He hugged her back.

“Thanks,” he said, his smile shy now. “Korra was the real star though. And Mako.”

“Well, you did plenty good yourself,” Tonraq said, clapping Bolin on the shoulder. Bolin ducked his head, still looking shy, but pleased.

“I’m gonna go out with Bo to get some dinner,” Korra said, gesturing toward the door at the end of the hall. “If that’s okay?” She added.

Senna and Tonraq glanced at each other, communicating silently and briefly.

“Of course,” Senna said, smiling at Bolin.

Tonraq nodded, looking almost…sly? “Have fun you two!” He declared, patting them both on the back and pushing them a little toward the door.

Korra heard him chuckle a little, but she didn’t pay too much attention, walking out into the night with Bolin.

(~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~)

Bolin was pretty sure this was shaping up to be one of the best nights of his life. It was kind of unbelievable. No matter how much he would look over and see Korra across from him, he was partially sure he would wake up and realize that he’d been dreaming. Korra, the best girl in the whole world, was on a _date_ with him! He hadn’t been able to wipe the smile off of his face since she’d said yes.

He slurped up the green water tribe noodles in his bowl. Narook’s was easily his favorite restaurant, and if Korra was feeling homesick like he thought she might have been lately, it was just the thing to lift her spirits.

They’d left Naga outside, though if they stood up they’d be able to see her lying under the window by their table. The White Lotus guards that still followed Korra around were outside as well, and Korra had told him somewhat irritably that they would be going with them everywhere they went. Bolin was largely used to it, since the guards were always with them when they went out the lunch anyway, so he pretty much never noticed them at all.

“So,” He said, taking another bite of noodles, “What do you think?”

Korra grinned around a mouthful of noodles, and Bolin’s own smile widened. “Ish delicious!” She said, her words a little hard to understand with the food in her mouth. They always ate like that together, and he didn’t care that Mako would probably have thought that it was rude or gross. It was so _Korra_ , and he loved it.

She swallowed. “Also, really authentic.” She took another bite. 

Bolin grabbed some more noodles with his chopsticks, his cheeks starting to hurt from smiling so much, but he just couldn’t stop. “That’s great, ‘cause this is my favorite place to eat!”

Korra looked at him curiously. “How come we haven’t come here before then?”

“Oh,” Bolin shrugged, trying to look nonchalant even as he felt a blush creep up his face. “I was, uh, saving it. For this.” 

Korra blinked, and then her eyes widened a little. “Oh.” She blushed a little as well. “That’s sweet of you, Bo.”

Bolin waved a hand. “Anyway, I’m glad you like it! I love water tribe food, you love water tribe food – just another reason we’re so great together, right?” He grinned teasingly at her.

Korra laughed. “Right.” She frowned, looking at something behind Bolin, and leaned in closer to speak in a low voice. She nodded toward the back of the restaurant. “Who’s that creepy guy over there glaring at us?”

Bolin looked around, frowning, and then his eyes widened. It was Tahno, sitting with the other members of his team – The Wolfbats – one arm draped across a girl’s shoulders, the arm around the shoulders of a boy. He was definitely glaring at them – or Korra, specifically, though there was also something predatory about his gaze that Bolin did not like at all.

 _Creepy,_ Bolin thought in agreement, turning quickly back to Korra, explaining Tahno was. “They’re the reining champs, three years running. Don’t make eye contact – “

But, of course, Korra was doing that very thing.

 _Well, that’s part of why she’s Korra,_ Bolin mused, even as he looked around again to see that Tahno was making his way toward them.

 _Oh shit. This can’t end well._ Bolin hunched over a little in his seat. “Don’t mess with this guy,” he whispered urgently at Korra. “He’s bad news.”

Korra – of course – didn’t look at all bothered by this, and instead raised her eyebrows as Tahno approached, crossing her arms and meeting his gaze challengingly.

“Well, well, well,” Tahno said, stopping in front of their table. His voice was deep, and slithering. He had a permanent smirk on his face, and he lightly blew his flopping hair out of his eyes. “If it isn’t the Fire Ferrets,” he went on softly, menacingly. “Pro-bending’s saddest excuse for a team.”

Korra scowled, and Bolin bristled internally a little, but he didn’t let it show. He knew Tahno was just trying to rile them up, so he ignored Tahno going on about how their team had just gotten lucky.

“But you know…” Tahno leaned closer to Korra, and he was practically licking his lips. “Uh-vatar, if you wanted to see how a real pro bends, I could give you some _private lessons_.”

 This time Bolin scowled. _What a creep._ He wished that Korra was allowed to hit him, then, but he looked forward to seeing her wipe the floor with him in the tournament –

Korra stood up, standing almost nose-to-nose with Tahno. “You wanna go toe to toe with me, pretty boy?” She hissed.

Tahno’s smirk grew wider. “Go for it. I’ll even give you the first shot.”

 _Shit, shit, shit._ Bolin knew that look in Korra’s eye. He leaned forward quickly, whispering urgently at her. “Korra, don’t! If you hit him, we’re out of the tournament!”

Korra’s eyes flicked to his, and then she smiled. She didn’t say anything, she just whistled.

With a crash that made Bolin jump in his seat, Naga burst her head through the window, splintering the frame, and roared at Tahno.

Tahno scrambled backward, falling backward and getting caught by his teammates, emitting a slight scream. He straightened and dusted himself off, and then turned on his heel and walked away, his nose quite literally in the air. 

Bolin tried to hold it in, biting his lip, but it was no use. He burst out laughing, and Korra was doing the same. He hit his palm on the table a few times, wiping a tear from the corner of his eyes. “Oh man,” he said, looking at Korra admiringly. “That was beautiful.” _You’re beautiful,_ he almost said, but he didn’t. Laughing, her eyes bright, smile stretched wide, her hair still a little mussed from the last match, he was sure that she was the prettiest thing he’d ever seen.

He smiled, leaning a little toward her. “You’re one of a kind, Korra,” he told her sincerely.

Korra smiled back, blushing a little. 

They finished their food, and stayed behind a few more minutes to clean up the slight mess Naga had made – Korra offering extra money to repair the slightly splintered window frame. Narook had none of it, and told Korra directly that it “Was about time someone knocked that kid on his ass”, which had both of them laughing again.

They still had plenty of time before the next match, so it was time for Part II of Bolin’s Perfect Date Plan to be put into action. He’d been planning it for a while now. He hadn’t been sure when it would happen – and it had taken him a while to work up the nerve – but he’d wanted this night to be perfect when it did. He wanted to give Korra the best date of her life; the first of many best dates, he hoped.

“Okay,” Korra said, turning to him with a smile and patting Naga’s side. “Where next?”

“Dessert?” Bolin asked. If she said no, he had several different back-up plans, based on her potential reactions and wishes. “I know this place that has great milkshakes.”

Korra’s smile widened, and she nodded enthusiastically. “Hell yeah! Tell me where to go!” They climbed up on Naga. Even when she didn’t know where they were going, Korra wanted to be the one leading them there. Bolin didn’t mind – he liked it.

He sat behind her, giving directions, and trying to not make it obvious that he sort of secretly hoped that Korra would ask him to put his hands on her hips from behind. Just so that he could stay on, of course. But she didn’t, and that was fine too.

When they arrived at Jinwei’s Creamery – hands-down the best place to get ice cream in the city – Korra did brush his hand with hers. He wasn’t sure if she was trying to signal him to grab her hand or not, and he supposed that he should just ask, but he couldn’t quite get the words out.

Jinwei – an elderly woman with an eye patch and silver hair kept back in a high ponytail – recognized him when he came in. “Hey there, Bolin!” She waved wiping out the mug in her hand. Her eyes landed on Korra, and her smile became teasing. “Well now,” She said, leaning a little on the counter, “Is this the famous Korra?”

Korra smiled back at her, holding out her hand. “Pleased to meet you, ma’am.”

Jinwei shook Korra’s hand. “Please, call me Jin. Any _friend_ – “ and here she grinned teasingly again “ – of Bolin’s is a friend of mine.”

“Wow,” Korra said, looking back at Bolin. “Everyone sure knows you.”

Bolin chuckled. “Just the food joints. I’m probably at all of ‘em a little too often.”

Korra giggled, and lightly punched his arm. “Well, you don’t look it,” she said, and Bolin felt like he was suddenly taller, warmth fluttering in his chest.

“Thanks,” he said, and he could tell he was blushing again. Partly to distract her from this – and partly because he’d been itching to compliment her all night and he was too much of a coward to do it properly, he winked at her and added: “You’re not so bad yourself.” He felt like slapping his forehead. _What kind of compliment was that?_

Korra smiled, her eyes crinkling at the edges. For a second he just stared at her, his heart hammering in his chest. _Spirits,_ he’d never get tired of looking at her, of being with her. She made everything more fun, made food taste better, made him feel lighter –

Jin cleared her throat, and they both jumped, quickly looking away from each other. Oh man, he was definitely blushing now. He chanced a glance at Korra and saw that her face was a little red too.

“Anyway,” Jin said, “What can I get you two tonight?”

“The usual for me,” Bolin said, sliding some of his money across the counter to Jin.

“What’s your usual?” Korra asked, squinting at the menu on the wall behind the counter, frowning a little.

“Double chocolate,” Bolin said, and Korra laughed.

“I think I’ll have to have that too,” she said, pulling out her own money. Bolin had initially tried to pay for her back at Narook’s – after all, he worked and she didn’t, and it was the polite thing to do on dates – but Korra had wanted to pay for her own food, and Bolin could understand that.

“Alrighty,” Jin said, turning around and starting to prepare their shakes.

“So, is this your favorite place too?” Korra asked, leaning her chin on her palm, looking at all the different ingredients in the cooler behind the counter.

“Uh-huh,” Bolin said, trying to not be too obvious in watching her.

Jin snorted. “Favorite! I make half my revenue thanks to him.”

Bolin snorted, and Korra laughed.

“It’s not always for him, though,” Jin went on, and Bolin hunched his shoulders a little. He knew what she was going to say next. He wasn’t ashamed – there was nothing to be ashamed of, he’d keep doing it – but it was kind of weird to hear her bring it up in front of Korra.  It felt like she was trying to draw more attention to it than it deserved.

“It’s not?” Korra asked, looking mildly confused. She hesitated. “Has he brought other, um, people here or something?”

Jin shook her head, dumping the contents of the first milkshake into the right cup. “No – well, I mean yeah he’s been here with other boys and girls before – but I meant the kids,” she clarified. “Every time he comes here Bolin always buys some shakes for the kids that live around here. Some of ‘em don’t have homes, and none of ‘em can afford much to eat. 

Korra stared at Bolin, her mouth open a little. “You really do that?” She asked.

Bolin shrugged. “It’s not a big deal,” he said, not able to meet her eyes. He wanted to tell her everything, but it wasn’t really the place to talk about it all. How he’d known what it was like to be them. He couldn’t do much for them, and he knew giving them shakes wasn’t nearly enough, but he still had to do _something_ all the same.

“Here you go,” Jin said, sliding the shakes up on the counter. Bolin caught his automatically, and so did Korra, though she was still staring at him.

Korra tilted her head a little to the side. “Bo,” She said, “I’m pretty sure you’re one of the nicest people I’ve ever met.”

Bolin gaped at her. “Oh – no, not really! There are so many nice people out there, like you, and Mako, and Asami, and your mom and dad and Pema and Tenzin and Toza and Jin here and Hamoh from the ice rink – I’m nothing special.” He shrugged again. “Like I said, it’s not a big deal.” 

Korra shook her head, taking a sip of her milkshake. Her eyes widened. “Bo – this is delicious!”

Bolin laughed. “I know, right? Best ice cream in the city.”

Jin laughed too, winking. “Well, I always save the best for you at least,” She said, and then she moved down the counter to deal with other customers.

For a few minutes they just drank their shakes in silence. Bolin didn’t mind. Nothing was boring with Korra around, not even silence.  He finished his shake, and then burped loudly, to his embarrassment. He covered his mouth a little, flushing.

 _Oh no oh no,_ he thought, panicking. He couldn’t believe he’d done that, and on their first date too!

Korra blinked at him, and then burped right back, even louder. She grinned at him, and he grinned back, burping again. She burped one more time – still somehow louder, _man_ she had impressive lungs – and then they both burst out laughing.

The finished not long after that. Bolin left his tip on the counter, along with extra money for shakes for some kids. Normally he stayed to hand them out, but if they were going to do even just one of the other things Bolin had planned, they had to get moving. Thankfully, Jin knew what to do. The kids that got the shakes were familiar faces around the area, so it’d be easy for her to hand them out.

From Jinwei’s they made their way toward Harmony Tower. A few weeks ago, Korra had mentioned that she’d never been, and he was looking forward to showing the view to her. They made a few stops along the way, mostly at little vendors. Neither of them had much money left – and Bolin had to save his for the flowers he was going to get her later – so they didn’t buy anything, but they did enjoy looking at all the different knickknacks, and just talking comfortably.

It was pretty much like every time they went out to lunch together. Maybe it was supposed to be different, if they were dating, but Bolin liked the way things were. He liked how easily they could just talk to each other, how he could make her laugh (and how she could make him laugh), so as far as he was concerned, the most important things were going to stay the same. They were just hopefully going to add in things like kissing at some point.

Eventually they made it to the tower. They had to leave Naga at the bottom, and then they took an elevator to the top. Korra was just looking around at everything, her eyes wide and mouth hanging open. As soon as the elevator doors opened she charged out, gasping in delight.

“Wow,” She breathed, walking toward the railing. “You can see the whole city from up here.”

Suddenly she pointed excitedly down at the streets below. “Ooh, look! There’s the arena! It looks so small from up here!”

Bolin didn’t respond, just smiling and watching her. The lights from the tower and from the city almost made her look like she was glowing. He really was the luckiest guy in the world, even just to know her at all.

The wind blew her hair a little, and he wondered for a second what she would look like with her hair down, without even her little barrettes on the sides. Amazing, he knew. She looked amazing all the time.

He could have just stayed like that, watched her smile and point at all the different things she could see from up there, for quite a while, but the toll from the clock tower told them that it was time to head back to the arena.

They walked back together, opting to be next to Naga rather than riding her. Korra playfully pushed him, and he playfully nudged her back, and soon they were laughing again.

Yeah, Bolin was pretty sure this was one of the best nights of his life.

(~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~)

Bolin was in the middle of a story about his early pro-bending days when they reached the steps of the arena. Korra smiled, chuckling a little as Bolin described one of his early and disastrous matches, but she frowned when she saw Mako sitting on the steps leading into the stadium, clearly waiting for them.

Bolin noticed his brother as well and slowed to a stop. “Hey Mako,” he said, grinning.

Mako smiled a little back, eyes flicking to Korra and then away. “Hey, Bo. Um, I just need to talk to Korra for a sec, all right? We’ll be inside in a minute.”

Bolin glanced at Korra, waiting for her to nod before he started to head inside. “Sounds good,” Bolin called back, waving at them. He was bouncing a little while he walked, and Korra smiled as she watched him walk away. His cheerfulness was always so infectious.

She turned toward Mako, trying to ignore the little flutter that she felt in her stomach. He was paying attention to her! Maybe he wanted to congratulate her on how well she was doing so far?

Mako sighed, and crossed his arms.  When he looked up at Korra he was frowning.

“Korra, I want to know exactly what you’re trying to do here.” He said.

Korra furrowed her eyebrows. “Uh, what do you mean?”

He exhaled loudly through his nose. “I mean, what kind of game are you playing?”

Korra blinked at him. “Pro-bending?” She offered. “We need to get back inside or – “

“No,” Mako cut across her. “What kind of game are you playing with my brother?”

For a second Korra just stared at him in shock. Then outrage took over. “ _Excuse_ me?” She demanded.

Mako’s scowl deepened. “You heard me. You come to me today talking about how you think we should be together, and then you immediately turn around and go on a date with Bo? That’s low, Korra.”

Korra gritted her teeth together, her fists clenching. “I’m not playing any kind of game! I wanted to have a good time with Bolin, and that’s exactly what happened!”

Mako’s voice became louder, and he stepped closer to her. “I don’t want to see his heart get broken. If you’re just using him, Korra, I swear – “

“ _Using_ him?” Korra gaped. “I’m not doing anything like that! I’m having fun with Bo, and that’s all we were trying to do!”

“Well, it sure doesn’t look that way to me,” Mako replied. “Just – don’t hurt him,” he finished, and turned to walk up the stairs again.

“Oh no you don’t!” Korra declared, taking the steps two at a time and catching his sleeve in her hand. She jerked him to a stop, and he looked back at her, still glaring. What was his problem? She wasn’t hurting Bo- they’d been having fun together. It didn’t make any sense, unless…unless there was just more than Bolin on his mind.

As soon as she thought of it, it made sense. She marched up and pointed at Mako, her finger an inch from his nose. “You know what, I bet you’re not worried about him at all! I bet you’re just jealous!”

Mako’s mouth dropped open, and then his eyes narrowed and he scoffed. “What? That’s ridiculous.”

Korra stepped even closer. “Admit it – you like me.”

“Not the way you’re thinking!” Mako declared, throwing his hands up in the air. “I’m with Asami, Korra, and I want to be!”

Her heart was pounding so loudly in her ears she almost couldn’t hear anything else. She felt furious and giddy at the same time, desperate to prove her point. Maybe it _was_ just like Pema’s situation with Tenzin!

“Yeah, well – when you’re with her, I bet you think about me!” She shouted, a little too loudly. As soon as she said it she wished that she hadn’t, but there was no going back now.

Mako froze, and then glared at her. His fists were clenched tightly, and she knew that look: he was resisting the urge to firebend.

“Get _over_ yourself,” Mako snarled, stalking off up the steps and through the door.

Korra kicked the step in frustration, and then went up them as well, through a different door. _If he thinks this is over he has another thing coming,_ she thought. She’d deal with him again after the match, and get him to admit his feelings for her. It was just like with him praising her: he knew that she was good, that she was right, but he just didn’t want to admit it. Well, she could change that, and get him to confess how he really felt. She could do it.  Even with her determination in place, she still stomped down the hallway with a scowl.

(~-~-~-~-~-~-~)

By the time the match was almost over, her confidence had dwindled. And so had her anger. Between Korra knocking into both Bolin and Mako, and her and Mako sniping at each other the whole time, they’d very nearly lost. It was only thanks to Bolin that they were standing in the third round, ready for a tiebreaker.

Mako had initially volunteered to take it, but Bolin had insisted. With a quick smile at Korra that still somehow made her feel better, despite all that was going on, Bolin stepped forward to face the Bor-q-pine’s earthbender.

Korra was nervous – she and Mako’s attitudes had nearly cost them the tournament – but she knew that Bolin could pull it off. He was a fantastic earthbender, and he’d practically single-handedly won the last round for them.

She didn’t even look at Mako, even as she felt shame curling in her gut. What was she _doing_? She almost made them lose, and she kept forcing the issue with Mako even though he insisted he wasn’t interested. And maybe he really wasn’t. After all, why wouldn’t he prefer Asami over Korra? Korra got angry at him, and she wasn’t a pretty rich girl. She burped loudly and never dressed up or wore makeup.

Korra shook her head, focusing on Bolin again.

The platform in the center raised up a little, giving the two earthbenders some space and privacy, while also making it more difficult to go at each other with the limited room.

Bolin raised his fists, and when the referee blew the whistle he jumped forward, getting as close as he could, trying to keep the other earthbender – Chang – from having enough space to do his more long-winded moves. Chang shot an earth disc at Bo, and Bolin dodged it carefully, doing a seriously graceful turn in the air that suggested his ancestors had been airbenders. He pumped his fist up, striking Chang in the chest with a disc, and followed it up with a swing of his foot, sending the second disc into his shoulder, and knocking him clear off the platform and into the water below.

As the announcer shouted Bolin’s victor over the roar of the crowd, Korra was cheering along with everyone else, jumping up and down.

“Yes! Bolin you did it!” She called, and he waved at her before striking a bit of a pose for the crowd, who cheered louder.

“Way to go, Bo!” Mako called to his brother, and for a second he caught Korra’s eyes before they both quickly looked away. Korra felt a lurch in her stomach, but it wasn’t like other times she’d felt it around him. This time it made her feel sick. Still, she pushed that thought aside and ran forward to hug Bolin as he took off his helmet, wrapping her arms tightly around his shoulders. 

Bolin laughed, and then surprised her by picking her up and twirling her around. For a second all she could do was hold on and stare right at his face – his cheeks flushed with excitement, his green eyes wide and bright, his mouth stretched into a smile – and the whole world seemed to slow down. She could see his freckles, each individual eyelash, and it felt like she would be able to just take off and fly if she wanted to, and she laughed along with him. Then he set her down and embraced his brother, pumping his fist into the air.

Korra felt a little dizzy, her knees wobbling. It was strange, since she almost never felt dizzy, not even after doing the spinning gates at home, but she shook it off.

The three of them rode the lift back to the locker room, Bolin chattering excitedly. When they arrived, Pabu immediately jumped up on Bo.

“Didja see that, Pabu?” Bolin asked, throwing the fire ferret up into the air and then catching him. “We won! We get to go on to the semifinals!”

As Pabu chittered, taking his usual place on Bolin’s shoulders, Korra smiled. “You were amazing, Bolin. Really.”

Bolin smiled at her, shyly now, so different from how he’d been acting in front of the crowd. “Well,” he said, with some of his previous bravado, “You know what I always say: Bolin’s got some moves!”

Korra laughed. “You do,” she agreed, and for a second they just smiled at each other.

Then Bolin shook himself, and stepped back. “Hey, I gotta go out and grab something really quick. I’ll be back soon, though!” Before she could say anything, he was out the door.

One quick look around told Korra that she was alone in the locker room. Mako must have snuck out when she wasn’t paying attention. She sighed, and headed out as well. Even if she was wrong, well…she still needed to talk to him, to try and sort everything out.

She didn’t find him, though. _He must be with Asami,_ Korra thought, a little bitterly, as she came out onto the balcony. She knew her parents would be looking for her, but she really didn’t want to see anyone at the moment. For a few minutes she just looked out at the water, the breeze making strands of hair tickle her face.

“Hey,” Mako said from behind her, and Korra turned around.

He wasn’t glaring or scowling anymore at least.

“Hey,” she said back quietly, stepping a little closer to him.

Mako ran a hand through his hair. “Look, we need to talk,” he began.

“Didn’t think you’d want to,” Korra muttered, kicking lightly at the ground.

“I’m not very good at it,” Mako said, shrugging a little. “We need to, though.”

Korra nodded, waiting for him to go on.

Mako sighed. “Korra, I think you’re great.”

Korra looked up at him suddenly, feeling like her heart was in her throat. She almost couldn’t speak. “You do?”

He nodded. “Yeah, I do. You’re tough and funny, and a good teammate, and you helped me save Bo’s life – I like you a lot.”

Korra couldn’t breathe. She had been right! He did like her, and now was the moment, it was just like Pema said, she had to take a chance – because he was telling her, telling her the truth so that meant he was sure – so she had to do it, had to take a chance –

Unaware of her chaotic thoughts, Mako was still talking. “I like you, but not the way that you – “

Korra didn’t even hear what he was saying, and she stepped forward and pressed her mouth to his, hoping briefly that she knew what she was doing enough so that it wouldn’t look or feel like she was trying to eat his face.

She wasn’t sure what she’d been expecting. Fireworks, maybe, or something from one of the romance books Jinora liked to read. Maybe a jolt, like lightning, that would go through her and confirm what she’d been thinking this whole time.

But there wasn’t anything. His lips were warm, which was nice enough, but she’d been expecting more. Expecting _something_.

She processed this very quickly, as the kiss itself lasted only a few seconds. Mako stood there, frozen in shock before he pulled back furiously.

“What the _hell_ was that?” He demanded, stepping away from her and actually wiping his mouth like she was something disgusting. “What part of ‘I’m with Asami’ do you not understand?! What, you kiss me and suddenly everything goes your way? You didn’t listen to a word I said earlier did you?!”

Korra couldn’t say anything, her mouth falling open. She wanted nothing more than to sink into the ground and disappear. Before she could even try to respond, Mako went on.

“What about Bolin?” Mako asked, his eyes practically glowing with his anger. “He _likes_ you Korra. He likes you a lot! You went on a date with him tonight, and then did this?!”

With one last glare Mako stormed off, and this time she did see a brief flash of fire in his hands before it went out, and he was gone.

For several seconds, Korra stared after him. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to cry or scream, or beat something up. Or maybe all three.

“Stupid, stupid, stupid,” She told herself, putting her head in her hands and walking further out on the balcony. “Well played, Korra,” she muttered, leaning a little over the railing, her face still in her hands.

Pema had warned her, had told her to be patient and to consider his feelings, and she’d done the exact opposite. Mako’s words about Bolin came back to her, and Korra felt even worse. She hadn’t known it until he’d asked her out, but Bolin liked her. She’d gone out with him and had so much fun, and then still gone after his brother? She was the worst.

And then when she did kiss Mako, it didn’t feel like she thought it would at all! If that was all there was to kissing, why did people want to do it all the time? It had just felt…weird. She’d been vaguely aware of the taste of his spit on his lips – he must have just licked them or something – and the thought of opening her mouth wider and sticking her tongue in his wasn’t appealing at all.

But she _liked_ Mako! She wanted to be with him. Didn’t she?

Korra’s fingers fisted in her hair, and she sank even lower, pressing her forehead against the cool metal railing.

“Korra!” Bolin’s voice called out, and she could hear his footsteps coming closer as he ran toward her.

Her eyes shot open. _Oh no, not now –_ she thought desperately, even as she turned around to face him.

He stopped in front of her, grinning, panting a little. “Hey,” he said, holding something carefully behind his back. “Oh, man, I almost ran out of time, there. Sorry this took so long, there was a line, and then I couldn’t decide what to get so I had to ask what would be best and then I was worried I didn’t have enough money, but it turned out to be just enough so ta da!” He pulled his arm out, showing what he’d bought.

It was a bouquet of pretty pink roses. As he held them out a slight gust of wind blew, sending a few petals twirling into the air.

Korra stared, unable to say anything, tears stinging at her eyes. She felt like she might throw up. _I’m the worst,_ she thought again.

After a slightly awkward pause, Bolin’s smile dropped a little, and he started talking again, even more quickly than before. “Ahh, I mean, the pink roses are supposed to mean ‘grace and admiration’ and the flower seller said that they’re just the thing to get when starting out a relationship. Are – are they not good? Do you hate roses? Oh, I should have checked that – “ His eyes widened. “You’re not allergic, are you? Oh, shit, I’m sorry – “ he pulled the roses back and behind him again.

Korra shook her head. She cleared her throat. “I’m not allergic,” she said, and her voice cracked a little.

Bolin relaxed. “Oh, good. But then, I mean…” He hesitated, bringing the flowers a little forward again. He opened his mouth, and then closed it, biting his lip.

Korra let out a shaky breath, and then spoke again, gathering her courage. “Bo, I don’t deserve flowers.”

He looked at her like that idea was the silliest thing in the world. “Of course you do,” he said, laughing a little. “You deserve-”

She cut him off. “No, Bo, I don’t.” She had to say it now, before she lost her nerve. “Bo- I- I kissed Mako.”

The words seemed to suck all the color from his face. His eyes went wide and the hand holding the flowers drooped. He didn’t say anything.

“He- he pushed me away, and Bolin, I’m so, _so_ sorry. I wasn’t thinking.” She looked at the ground. “I didn’t mean…I’m sorry,” she repeated, and she hated how stupid and inadequate the words felt. She glanced at him from under her eyelashes.

Bolin seemed to be getting a little more animated now. He blinked rapidly, his eyes shinier than usual, like he was holding back tears. He cleared his throat, and then spoke. “Do- do you…like…Mako?”

Korra bit her lip, hands twisting in front of herself. She’d been so sure before, but now… “I- I don’t know. I thought I did.”

Bolin took a deep breath. “Okay,” he said finally.

The chime of the clock made them both jump. The quarterfinals were over, and everyone would be heading home until the semifinals the next night.

Bolin glanced at her, and then turned around slowly, the flowers seeming to wilt in his hands as they hung at his sides. Korra felt her pulse race in her throat, and for the third time that night, she acted on impulse.

“Bo! Wait!” He slowed, and looked around at her.

She almost stepped backward at the look on his face. She couldn’t help but compare it to how he’d looked at her earlier. Before he’d been standing tall, excitement and happiness in his every gesture. Now his shoulders were slumped, his ever-present smile nowhere to be found.

“Bo, I- I want to figure this out,” She insisted. “I- I’m not sure how I feel now, but I want to figure it out, and I want to tell you about it once I do.”

He looked at her for a moment, and then gave the barest smile. “Sounds good, Korra. Come on, let’s get inside.” He started walking again, a little ahead of her, and she was pretty sure she heard him sniffle, and her heart sank even more. 

(~-~-~-~-~-~)

Korra sat miserably on the edge of her bed. She’d tried to practice some of her airbending forms, but she couldn’t concentrate. Every time she closed her eyes she saw Bolin’s miserable face.

“Arrrghhhh,” Korra moaned, falling back on her bed, her arm over her eyes.

“That doesn’t sound like someone who successfully qualified for the finals today,” her mother commented from the doorway, and Korra sat up quickly.

Her mom was standing alone in the door, looking slightly concerned. “Do you want to talk about it?” Senna asked.

Korra sighed, burying her face in her hands. “I messed up, mom,” She mumbled.

“What do you mean?” Senna asked as she came to sit on the bed next to Korra, putting a hand on her daughter’s back and gently rubbing up and down it. Her hand was warm, and it made Korra feel a little better.

“I kissed Mako,” Korra said, and her mom’s hand stilled for a second in surprise before it rubbed up and down her back again.

“You did?” Senna asked. “Oh. Yes, I can see why you’d be upset.”

Korra looked up, meeting her mom’s eyes. “It was stupid, I know! Bolin took me out on a date and it was really fun – so much fun – but all this time I thought that I liked Mako, that we were somehow meant to be together – “ she shook her head.

“Really? I wouldn’t have guessed,” her mother said thoughtfully, and Korra looked at her again in surprise. “Well,” Senna added at Korra’s look. “You two just…never seemed to have much in common, is all. I assumed…” She stopped. “It doesn’t matter. Go on, sweetie.”

Korra’s fingers clenched in the mattress. “I thought I liked Mako,” she said again. “But now…now I don’t know.” She shook her head again and stood up. “Even if I did though, I shouldn’t have done that. Mako’s happy with Asami, and I didn’t want to hurt Bo – I can’t believe I did that. I’m the worst.” She put her hand over her eyes again.

“No you’re not,” Senna chastised softly. “I know it feels that way, and I won’t deny that you shouldn’t have done that. You need to learn to think things through a little better, Korra. But you’re not the worst. You made a mistake, and now you have to make up for it. Remember?”

Korra nodded a little, their words from when they encouraged her to apologize to the protestor flashing in her mind. “Yeah, I know, I just…I really messed up.”

Senna nodded back. “Everyone messes up sometimes, Korra,” she added, though Korra hadn’t been going to say anything. “Like I said, it’s what you do to make up for your mistakes that really matters.” She stood, and hugged Korra tightly. “Talk to Bolin. And to Mako. And to Asami, if you have to. Apologize, and take time to make things right. It won’t be easy,” She said as she pulled back and kissed Korra on the forehead. “But you can do it. I believe in you.”

Korra didn’t say anything, just hugged her again. Her mom believed in her. She knew her dad did, and Tenzin did too. She just didn’t understand why.

“Thanks,” She said into her mom’s shoulder.

Senna’s hand stroked gently down her hair. “Of course, sweetheart. And we can keep talking about all of this for a bit, if you want to.”

Korra nodded, her throat feeling tight, but they just stood there holding each other, and didn’t stop for a long while.

(~-~-~-~-~-~)

When Mako was launched out of the ring for the second time in the past few days, the cold water shocked his senses and cleared his head.

His head popped above the water and he shook it out like Korra’s polar-bear dog, swimming over to the lift that would take him out of the water. He hefted himself up onto the platform, looking back in time to see Bolin sailing off into the water as well.

They hadn’t spoken. Bolin had been home asleep – or at least pretending – by the time Mako got back. He should have gotten there sooner. He hadn’t known that Korra would go ahead and tell him what had happened. As far as Mako was concerned, Bolin didn’t need to know so that he wouldn’t be hurt.

Asami had disagreed. Since he’d already told her about Korra’s confession to get some advice – and since hiding the kiss from her screamed _Bad Idea_ – he’d basically ranted at her about the whole thing, and Korra herself.

Asami hadn’t seemed too upset about the kiss, or even the confession – “I trust you, Mako,” she’d said – and she’d been kind of confused about Korra’ s actions as well.

“I mean, I don’t know her very well,” Asami had said when Mako had stopped ranting, “But it never seemed like she felt that way about you.” She’d shaken her head. “It doesn’t matter. The point is, you shouldn’t hide the kiss from Bolin. It’s better that he hears about it now, from someone he loves, than having him be lied to.”

Mako had frowned. He’d kept things from Bolin for his own safety and happiness before. There were just some things that Bo didn’t need to know.

“Would you prefer he find out some other way?” Asami asked, like she could read his mind, arching her eyebrow at him. “There are a million ways that could happen. Maybe Korra blurts it out. Maybe I accidentally do. Maybe a fan or another pro-bender saw it happen and tries to ask Bolin about it. Trust me – telling him now saves him some pain in the future.” With that she’d kissed him – making him feel infinitely better, even if he was still confused about how her kisses made him want things he’d never wanted before – and sent him on his way.

Mako had intended to tell Bolin as soon as he got home, but then Bolin was either sleeping or faking it, and that had been that. In the morning he’d tried to talk about it again, only for Bo to look at him with very red eyes that made Mako realize he already knew, that Korra had told him.

They…hadn’t really said much, after that.

Mako was done with that, though. He wasn’t good at talking, but Bolin was his brother, and he was hurting. Mako was going to do everything he could to make it better.

Bolin swam toward the platform, and looked up in surprise at Mako offering his hand. For a second he looked like he wanted to push it away, or maybe yell, but instead he grudgingly took it, and Mako pulled him up.

Bolin didn’t say anything, looking away from Mako as the lift began to ascend.

“You okay?” Mako asked, seeing that Bolin was holding his shoulder.

Bolin nodded. “Yeah,” he said quietly. “Disc hit my shoulder hard. I’ll be fine.” For a few seconds there was silence. “And we’ll be fine too?” Bolin asked.

Mako nodded. “Of course. We’re brothers. Nothing comes between us.”

Bolin smiled, just a little, and then he looked back at Korra, on her own against three other players. “It figures,” he muttered.

“What does?” Mako asked.

Bolin hesitated, looking at Mako like he’d forgotten he was there. “That Korra would like you,” he said after a few seconds and the lift reached the top.

Mako’s eyebrows pulled together. “I’m not sure what you mean.”

Bolin shook his head. “It doesn’t matter.”

Mako frowned. “Okay, if you say so.” They started to walk back toward the locker room, in silence again.

“Hey.” Mako stopped, and Bolin looked back at him. Before Bolin could say or do anything Mako pulled him into a hug.

“It’s going to be okay, Bo,” he said.

Bolin hugged him back, and then Mako pulled back and clapped him on the shoulder without thinking. Bolin hissed in pain, his eyes going wide as he clutched at his injured shoulder.

“Ow, ow, ow,” he said in a low voice.

“Oops,” Mako said, carefully patting Bolin’s other shoulder. “Sorry. My fault.”

The announcer’s voice got his attention.

“It didn’t seem possible folks,” Shiro Shinobi declared, and Mako saw Korra standing in victory in the center of the ring, “But the Fire Ferrets are going to the finals!”

“She did it!” Bolin exclaimed, sadness and hurt forgotten. “That’s amazing!” He laughed out loud, and Mako was relieved to hear the sound.

“It is amazing,” Mako agreed. Bolin was gazing at Korra, looking both wistful and admiring. Mako gently nudged his arm, and jerked his head toward the locker room.

“Come on,” Mako said. “Let’s meet Korra and congratulate her.”

Bolin nodded, and they made their way inside to wait for their teammate.

(~-~-~-~-~-~-~) 

Korra bit her lip, nervousness making her stomach tighten as she saw the two brothers waiting for her.

The platform slid into place, and she stepped into the locker room.

“That,” Bolin said, “Was pretty much the coolest thing I’ve ever seen. You were – are – amazing, Korra.”

Korra flushed. “Thanks, Bolin.” She opened her mouth to add something – an apology, something to make him feel better – but Mako spoke before she could. 

“You did great out there, Korra,” Mako said.

Korra smiled back, waiting for the familiar rush that she felt the few times he praised her. It didn’t come. She felt pleased, but not like she had before, and it was actually relaxing.

“Thanks,” she replied. She hesitated, and then went on quickly: “And I know I messed up, but, I hope we can still be friends?”

Mako nodded, smiling. “Definitely.”

Before anyone else could say more, three people walked into the room. It was Tahno, and his teammates. They were dressed strangely, and were carrying creepy wolfbat masks in their hands. It took Korra a second to realize that they were wearing their uniforms under the costumes.

Tahno’s nose was up in the air, and he sniffed delicately. “You boys smell something in here?” He asked his teammates. “Ugh. I know what it is: it’s the scent of losers.”

Korra scoffed. “Is that the best you can do?” She asked mockingly.

“No kidding,” Bolin added, looking thoroughly offended. “If you’re going to insult us, at least make it good.”

As Tahno scowled, Mako came forward with his own contribution, saying determinedly: “And we’ll see who the losers really are in the finals.”

“Oh, I’m peeing myself in fear,” Tahno said with a roll of his eyes as he and his teammates stepped out on the platform.

As they went out toward the ring, putting on their masks, the door opened again and Asami came in, throwing her arms around Mako. Mako caught her, a slow smile lighting up his face. He kissed her, and Asami looked a little surprised – as far as Korra had seen, Asami was usually the one to initiate kisses – but soon she’d closed her eyes and was reciprocating.

Again, Korra waited for the jealousy. It was still there, and she was a little disappointed, but it wasn’t as powerful as it had been before. It was just a flicker, and then it was gone, especially when she saw Bolin sit down and roll up his sleeve, looking at his shoulder.

Asami pulled back, giggling a little, and then looked at Korra. “That was amazing out there,” Asami commented. 

“Thanks,” Korra said, walking a little closer to the two of them. She had to talk to Bo, but she owed something to Asami too. “But, if it hadn’t been for you and your father, we wouldn’t even be here. Thank you. I should have said that sooner.”

Asami looked a little surprised, and then smiled, somehow looking even prettier.

“Hey,” Bolin said, sounding a little irritated, “If everyone’s done with the thank-yous, I could use some medical help over here.”

Korra walked over to him immediately, gesturing for Mako and Asami to wait. “Oh, I can help with that!” She began, reaching for Bolin’s injured shoulder. As soon as she touched it he flinched.

“Ow!” He said sharply, wincing. “Haven’t you hurt me enough, woman?” There wasn’t any real heat in his words, and he smiled a little afterward too.

“Relax,” Korra said, rolling her eyes a little. “I’m a healer too. Katara’s the best waterbender there is, and she taught me.” She bent a little water out of a nearby bucket, closing her eyes and letting out a deep breath, opening them to see the water glowing a little where she was holding it against his shoulder.

Bolin sighed happily. “Oh, that’s the stuff,” he said.

Korra chuckled, and then paused. “Hey, Bo, about before…I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you. I was being stupid.”

Bolin waved a hand, though he didn’t meet her eyes. “Ahh, I’ll be fine. We, um, had fun together, though, right?”

Korra nodded vigorously. “Oh, definitely! It was one of the best nights of my life, Bolin. Really.”

He smiled a little, finally looking up at her. “Me too,” he replied softly.

Korra felt her own smile growing, remembering his words from before. “You’re one of a kind too, Bolin. And,” She glanced over at Mako and Asami, who were looking out at the ring, their arms around each other. “I’m not totally sure,” Korra said slowly, “But I don’t think I like Mako, Bo. I thought I did, but now I’m pretty sure I don’t. Not that way, anyway.”

Bolin smiled, but it looked almost bittersweet. “Okay, Korra. Thanks for telling me.” He snapped his fingers suddenly as Korra lowered her hands, finished healing his shoulder. “Oh,” he said, and he stood up, walking toward the lockers. He opened his up and pulled out the slightly crushed bouquet of flowers. He held them out for her, his eyes darting to her and then away again.

“These are yours,” he said. “Even with – with everything, I want you to have them.”

Korra took them, and inhaled their scent. “Thank you, Bolin,” She said sincerely, already feeling lighter and better than she had all day. “They’re beautiful, and they mean a lot.”

He grinned back. “No prob – “

A gasp from the crowd cut him off, and Korra exchanged a quick glance with him before they both rushed toward the railing, staring in horror at the scene before them. The Mongoose Lizards team was being half carried out of the water by the medics, being put onto stretchers. One of them looked like they had a broken arm, and Korra could see even from her position that the waterbender’s helmet glass had been shattered. The Wolfbats, sneering Tahno at the front, were waving to the split crowd. Korra and the others all stared in disbelief even as the announcer spoke:

“With a brutal round one knockout, the defending champs secure their spot in the finals! I hope the Fire Ferrets know a good doctor, because they’re gonna need one!”


	10. And the Winner Is

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, everyone. Yes, I'm still alive, and still updating this story! I wanted to have this one up earlier, but IRL stuff and writer's block has kept me busy. And, for those curious, I am thrilled about korrasami, so I needed to write fic for it. :P If you're interested, check out my fic "Living Spaces", which is a korrasami domestic fic set a few months after the finale. However, just because I love korrasami doesn't mean I don't still love borra! I also love this fic too much to abandon it, and I have too many ideas.
> 
> However, I do think it is important to mention just how, well, important korrasami being canon is. I'm bisexual, and I cried when I watched it. I can't imagine what it means to all the bisexual (and gay!) kids out there. So, after it became canon, it did kind of feel weird to keep writing this. After all, I started it partly because only Makorra was canon at the time (I mean, I wouldn't have done the fic if it weren't for my dislike of lots of other plot details, so it's not like this was ever just about shipping, but still). So, while I can tell you guys that this story will always have borra - and that I'm not likely to break them up on any kind of permanent basis - if I ever do some of the sequels I have in mind there may be OT3s with Asami going on. But, I may never get to those sequels, so we'll see. :P
> 
> I hope to update again soon, but as always I have to focus on my original work first (my goal is to have my book ready to be published this year!) before doing fanfiction.
> 
> I hope y'all enjoy this chapter, and thanks for all the comments and favorites!

 

 

* * *

Korra feinted to the left, and then with a grin threw the ball hard to her right.

It hit Mako in the stomach with enough force to send him back a few steps, his arms curling around the ball even as he bent over, wheezing.

"Nice one!" Bolin said, laughing. "You okay, bro?"

"Yeah," Mako grunted, standing straight and giving Korra a slight glare. She made a face at him, and he rolled his eyes, but he was smiling a little. "Hit that well in the match and we'll win for sure," he added dryly.

Korra laughed, and then stretched her arms above her head. They'd been practicing for a while. Earlier, they'd even practiced by taking out different images of Tahno with their bending: Mako had burned his to a crisp, Korra had blasted one with a jet of water, and Bolin had cut one cleanly in half with an earth disc.

In some ways, it was like the whole mess a week ago hadn't even happened. It was even easy for Korra to pretend that she hadn't kissed Mako, hadn't made such a mess of things. Honestly, it was so much easier to be around Mako in general, as well as Asami. It was strange that something that had seemed so important to her before – supposedly being in love with Mako – could mean so little now. Aside from the residual shame and embarrassment, she felt like she had pretty much gotten over it all.

Well. Except hurting Bolin. She wasn't over that. She didn't think Bolin was quite over it either; over the past week he would sometimes get kind of quiet, and wouldn't really meet her eyes. Other times he'd be uncharacteristically snappish, even a little rude. She really couldn't blame him.

The music on the radio faded out, and the announcer took over, taking Korra out of her thoughts.

" _You're listening to 'The Music Hour', brought to you by Cabbage Corp,"_  the announcer said cheerfully. " _Republic City's trusted name in technology for over fifty years."_  With that, music began to play again.

"I know we're the underdogs," Korra said suddenly, and Mako and Bolin looked over at her in surprise. "But I think we have a real chance of taking out those Wolfbat assholes."

Mako snorted, smiling a little, and Bolin grinned outright.

"It's going to be a tough match," Mako said, turning his helmet over and over in his hands. "But I think you're right."

"Hell yeah!" Bolin cheered, putting his arm over Mako's shoulders. He deepened his voice a little, imitating Shiro Shinobi, the announcer at the matches:

"Introducing the your new champions, the fantastic Fire Ferrets!"

They all laughed at that, but suddenly loud static came from the radio – interrupting the upbeat music – and they stood frozen in place.

" _Good morning, citizens of Republic City. This is Amon._ "

Korra hated the way it felt like a hand had squeezed around her heart, the way she couldn't breathe hearing his voice. As always, it was like he was standing right next to her, his words reverberating through her body. She forced herself to inhale and exhale, to listen.

"… _it is time for this city to stop worshipping bending athletes as if they were heroes. I am calling on the council to shut down the bending arena, and cancel the tournament – and probending – permanently."_

Korra exchanged glances with the brothers; Bolin looked horrified, Mako worried.

" _If this is not accomplished, there will be_ _ **severe**_ _consequences."_ Static cut in on the radio again, and then there was silence.

Korra's hands clenched. What was Amon going to do now? Who else would he hurt to get what he wanted?

Bolin was the one to break the silence. "That guy's got some nerve," he said, frowning a little. He was holding Pabu close, rubbing his tiny head.

Mako was frowning too, his eyebrows drawn together. "Do you think the council will give in?"

Korra straightened her shoulders. "I don't know, but I'm not waiting to find out." She turned and headed for the door, pausing for a second and looking back at them. "You guys coming?" She asked.

Bolin and Mako exchanged a glance – Bolin, she noted with mild irritation, waiting for permission like always - and then Mako nodded, and they followed her out.

(~-~-~-~-~-~)

By the time they got to City Hall, the council meeting was well underway. Korra threw open the doors, ignoring the scandalized council page that tried to stop her from going in. She was the Avatar – she had a right to sit in on council meetings. Though she suspected Aang usually hadn't entered in such a dramatic fashion.

The council members all stood as she entered, with Mako and Bolin just behind her. She'd met some of them briefly before, but she didn't focus on them, instead looking right at Tenzin as she approached.

"Korra!" Tenzin said, staring at her. "You shouldn't be here; this is a closed meeting."

Korra crossed her arms. "As the Avatar and a pro-bender, I have a right to be here, Tenzin." She stopped in front of the council table. "You can't cancel the finals."

Tenzin sighed. "I know winning the championship means a lot to you Korra, and I regret that we have to do this, but as far as I'm concerned we need to shut the arena down."

Korra looked at the rest of the council members, particularly Tarrlok.

"Well," she said, gesturing to him. "What about the rest of you? Tarrlok, you can't be willing to back down from Amon, right?"

Tarrlok started shaking his head before she even finished. "Actually, Tenzin and I are in agreement, Korra," he said seriously.

"The council is unanimous," Tenzin added. "We are closing the arena."

"What? No!" Mako said to her left.

"You can't!" Bolin protested on her right.

For a second all Korra could do was gape at them. Couldn't they see how important this was? They couldn't close the arena – that was like surrendering!

"I – I don't understand," Korra said, still looking at Tarrlok. "I thought you of all people would take a stand against Amon."

Tarrlok looked regretful. "I am still committed to bringing Amon to justice, but I will not do it by putting innocent lives at stake." His voice was full of resolve, and she saw his hand was clenched tightly at his side. He was looking past her, like he wasn't actually talking to her at all. "I won't do it," he repeated. "Especially not so that you and your friends can play a  _game_."

Korra drew an outraged breath. Pro-bending was more than that! It was important! It was what had helped her actually make progress in learning airbending, it was how she had met Mako and Bolin, it was a place where people cheered her name instead of wishing for her downfall.

"Pro-bending may be just a game to you," Mako said, "but think of what it means to the city! Benders and non-benders can gather in peace to – " he hesitated. "To watch, um, benders – "

"Beat each other up!" Bolin finished passionately, (and even in the frustrating situation Korra had to fight the urge to smile). Bolin paused, seeming to realize how that sounded. "In peace!" He added. "People who are rich or poor can come and watch – it's the only place like that in the whole city, where  _everyone_  can come!"

Tarrlok snorted. "I appreciate your naïve idealism, but you're ignoring the reality of the situation."

Korra scowled. "The  _reality of the situation_  is that if you close the arena, you're letting Amon win!"

"Yes!" Bolin agreed, pointing at her, and Korra felt a rush of warmth in her chest. "Exactly that, yes!"

Tenzin held up a hand. "I'm sorry, but – "

"Hold on, Tenzin." The Fire Nation representative – an old woman – said. She was square-jawed, and a little on the heavier side, with her grey hair up in a bun. She wore traditional Fire Nation clothing, and gold-frame glasses. She was standing straight and tall, and a sense of calmness, of command, radiated from her that kind of reminded Korra of Katara.

Tenzin looked at her in surprise. "Councilwoman Aki, surely you agree that we can't risk innocent lives for the sake of pro-bending."

Councilwoman Aki raised her eyebrows at him. "In case you've forgotten, Tenzin, I voted in agreement with you. However, I believe there is more to this issue that we need to discuss. Perhaps, after all, this would be the best time to announce the change to Pro-Bending coming next year, allowing non-benders to compete."

"Wait, what?" Bolin asked in surprise.

"You're going to put non-benders in Pro-Bending?" Korra asked, honestly surprised as well. Why hadn't Tenzin mentioned that to her? Then she brightened.

"Yes!" She said, pointing toward Aki. "She's got the right idea! Announce that, and all the non-benders will see that we want to help, that we don't want to oppress them! And it'll make it seem like Amon doesn't have as much of a leg to stand on!"

"Essentially, yes," Aki agreed with a slight smile. "It's not a perfect fix, by any means, but it is something that Amon and his Equalists – as well as the other citizens – won't be expecting, and it is a good change that could help non-benders as well."

"I couldn't agree more," came a voice from behind them, and they all whirled around to see chief Lin Bei Fong standing in the still-open doorway.

"I can't believe I'm saying this," she went on as she walked further into the room, "But I agree with the Avatar."

Korra scowled, but Lin didn't seem to notice.

"I'd expect this kind of cut-and-run response from you, Tenzin," Lin said with a scowl of her own, "But I'm surprised about the rest of you. Councilwoman Aki and Avatar Korra are making sense. Show some backbone, for crying out loud!"

The other council members exchanged glances at that, the Earth Kingdom and Southern Water Tribe representatives puffing up indignantly.

"It is time for the benders and non-benders of this city to show a united front against Amon," Lin went on, hitting her fist into her palm.

Tarrlok turned to Aki. "Councilwoman, you were against my plans for a task force, but you will go along with this?"

Aki straightened her glasses, and regarded Tarrlok coolly. "I did not support you going out and capturing non-benders because it makes our citizens feel threatened. It is an offensive move that risks alienating other non-benders like myself."

Korra shifted uncomfortably. She really felt that way? She didn't want her or other non-benders to feel threatened. But they had to catch Amon before he hurt more people! Not that they'd had any luck with that so far…and he'd probably hurt more people already…She was shaken out of her thoughts as Aki went on.

Aki looked at the other council members. "I agree that this carries risk, but it is an alternate possibility that we should consider as a way to make non-benders feel included, and to show Amon's notion of equality for the lie that it is."

"I appreciate what you are saying, Councilwoman Aki," Tenzin said. "But we cannot allow this conflict to escalate into an all-out war! The council is not changing its mind."

"And I suppose that's wholly up to you?" Lin asked dryly, and Tenzin actually flushed.

Korra saw with delight that the remaining members of the council looked like they were considering the idea. Tarrlok was frowning thoughtfully, a little furrow between his eyebrows, while the other two were nodding.

"Suppose we did this," Tarrlok said slowly. "Showing solidarity with non-bender citizens  _would_  be a beneficial move," he added, almost to himself. "…it still is not worth the risk of the spectators or the pro-benders getting hurt or worse."

Lin nodded. "I would agree with you. However, if you keep the arena open, my officers and I will provide extra security during the championship match. There's no one better for the task; I can outfit all of the officers with the armor my metalbender force wears. It's impervious to the Equalist's attacks."

"Then you are taking responsibility for the safety of everyone in that arena?" Tarrlok asked, lightly weighing the gavel in his hands.

Lin nodded. "I guarantee it."

Tarrlok nodded to himself, and then looked up. "Very well. If she is confident that her elite officers can protect the people, she has my support. I'm changing my vote." He turned to the other council members. "Who is with me?"

Aki raised her hand, as did the other two council members.

Tarrlok turned forward again. "Well then," he said, smiling a little at Korra, "The arena stays open. Good luck at the match."

Korra cheered, jumping up and down, and saw Mako pumping his fist. Impulsively, she hugged Bolin tightly and he hugged her back, actually lifting her up and spinning her in the air. She laughed aloud, meeting his eyes for a few seconds that left her breathless, and then he set her down and looked away from her.

Korra bit her lip, wanting to reach out to him, her stomach twisting. Seeing Tenzin sit down heavily in his chair, leaning his face in his hands, distracted her.

She felt a brief flicker of guilt and worry at the sight, but she pushed it away. Even if she didn't like her, there was no denying how good of an officer Lin Bei Fong was. Her and her other officers would be able to keep the spectators safe, and Korra knew she and Bolin and Mako could help. It would be fine, and then Amon would know that things weren't going to be quite so easy for him. She smiled at the thought.

As they made their way out of the hall again, Korra's smile faded a little as she noticed Bolin wasn't joining in with her and Mako's excitement. He wasn't really saying anything, and wasn't looking at either of them.

"C'mon," Mako said, actually grinning – grinning! – "We should celebrate, right? Before we get in more practice, I mean." He slung an arm around Bolin's shoulder, but Bolin stepped out of it, offering a weak smile.

"Nah," he said, his voice a little too casual, still looking anywhere but at Korra. "I gotta rest my arm up some more – don't want to hurt it before the match. I'll see you guys later."

Mako frowned. "You sure, Bo?"

"Yeah." Bolin shrugged a little. "I see you guys back at the arena, okay?" He turned away.

"Wait, Bo – " Korra began, reaching out and grabbing his shoulder, but he pulled it roughly out of her grip.

"I  _said_  I'll see you later!" He told her irritably, still not looking at her.

Korra didn't quite know what to say, her hand frozen in mid-air.

Bolin seemed to sag a little, letting out a long breath. "I just…I'll see you later." With that he walked off. Korra watched him go, her heart sinking, once again cursing herself. If she hadn't been so stupid, she wouldn't have hurt Bolin like this.

Mako was watching Bolin was well, frowning a little. "Probably should rain check that celebration, huh?" he asked.

"Probably," Korra agreed. She tried to focus on the positive: "Let's just do it after we win, huh?"

Mako laughed a little. "Sounds good. See you at the arena!" He started to walk off as well, either to catch up to Bolin or go visit Asami, she assumed.

Raised voices caught her attention, and she turned to see Tenzin and Chief Bei Fong arguing by the entrance to the council chambers. Korra jogged over to them. She wanted to thank Chief Bei Fong before she left. Maybe they could actually start to get along better now.

"Hey," she said, coming up between them. "Sorry to interrupt, but Chief I really just wanted to say thank you, it – " she trailed off as the chief simply walked away without looking at her. Well, so much for that idea. She glared at Lin's retreating back, and then turned to Tenzin.

"What is her problem with me, anyway? Even when she's on my side, she's against me!" She asked, frustrated.

Tenzin sighed. "I've known Lin since we were children, and she's always been…one to hold grudges."

"What, did your father do something to her to make her hate the Avatar?" Korra asked, honestly curious if maybe there was someone that wouldn't constantly sing his praises.

Tenzin shook his head. "Oh no, she got along wonderfully with my father."

 _Of course_. "So, what, it's just me then?"

"Well." Tenzin hesitated. "Well, as I said, she's the kind of person that holds grudges. Once she forms an opinion about someone, it is very difficult for her to change her mind. She's very…set…in what she believes and thinks. And, since your arrival to this city resulted in a lot of property damage, and you two didn't exactly start out on the best foot…"

" _That's_  why she hates me?" Korra asked in disbelief.

"She doesn't  _hate_  you," Tenzin corrected, and to Korra's astonishment he looked slightly…embarrassed? "And anyway," he went on, "In this case I think her anger is more about me than you."

Korra frowned. It was true. Much as Bei Fong clearly disliked her, she also clearly disliked Tenzin. If they'd known each other since they were kids, what could have happened to make them –

It all slid into place. Korra could remember Pema's words before her own disastrous actions during the tournament:  _Tenzin was in love with someone else before, you know._

"Wait," she said slowly, a smile starting to form on her face. "It was you! And Bei Fong! Bei Fong and you!" She clapped her hands together. "You two were a couple!"

Tenzin gaped at her, rapidly turning red. "What – that's – how did – "

Korra laughed. "Your wife told me."

Tenzin muttered something under his breath, looking around while he did so, hunching over slightly.

Korra couldn't help but grin at his discomfort, crossing her arms a little smugly. "So, Pema stole you from her? I'm surprised the chief didn't try to get her arrested."

Tenzin actually rolled his eyes at this. "Don't be ridiculous. Lin and Pema get along well, actually, better than Lin and I ever do these days. And Pema didn't 'steal' me, Lin and I had been growing apart for some time, and she blames  _me_  for it, not Pema, since I was the one who ultimately – " he cut himself off, standing straighter, red to the tips of his ears. "Wait, why am I telling you this? That- that's none of your business! It all happened a long time ago and we've moved passed it!"

With that, he turned on his heel and marched in the other direction, still muttering darkly under his breath.

Korra couldn't resist one more comment. Waving teasingly at him, she called at his retreating back: "See you at home, Mr. Heartbreaker!"

Tenzin walked away even faster, leaving Korra on the steps of City Hall, still laughing.

(~-~-~-~-~-~)

Senna stood in her daughter's doorway, watching Korra in her slightly fitful sleep. Senna held onto the doorframe, leaning her head against it, as Korra frowned and mumbled something incoherent before turning over on her stomach.

It wasn't a surprise, really. The moment that Senna and Tonraq had heard Amon's announcement on the radio, she had known that Korra would do everything she could to still play in the championship. And it wasn't as if she was completely against her daughter's reasons – if they could start to get more citizens to see Korra and the council in a better light, it could really help – but she also knew how much Korra loved to win, and she was worried that Korra's insistence on keeping the arena open was more about that than anything else. She wasn't sure that Korra understood just how dangerous it all was.

She knew Lin Bei Fong and the other officers were more than capable, and that they would do everything they could. She knew that Korra could largely take care of herself. She knew how important it was for them to take some kind of stand against Amon. She knew that she couldn't really stop Korra from competing.

But she couldn't help but think about what it had been like before, at the compound. It had been horrible. Yrak had hurt Korra, in ways that Senna still probably didn't completely know or understand, but Korra had been safe there. She'd been far away from men in masks that wanted to torment her, to tear her down.

Senna wondered, sometimes, if she had known exactly what awaited them in Republic City, if she would have been so desperate for Korra to get there. If she would have even wanted her to.

She shook her head, wiping at the tears that slipped down her cheeks.  _No_. She knew they'd made the right choice. She just hoped with every fiber of her being that it would be worth it, that after tomorrow and after everything that was coming, Korra would be sleeping in that bed again, would still be breathing.

Senna heard the floor creak a few seconds before she felt Tonraq put his warm arms around her.

"Hey," He said softly, kissing the side of her neck.

"Hi," she responded, the gentleness and understanding even in his one simple word filling her eyes with tears again.

He rested his head on top of hers, and for a few moments they just watched Korra as she slept. She kicked her legs a little, and turned over on her side as they watched, and Senna wondered if she was having more of those dreams about Avatar Aang. Korra hadn't always been such a restless sleeper, though she had sometimes been known for kicking and constantly stole the blankets, at least when she was little.

Tonraq rubbed his hands up and down Senna's arms. "I'm scared," he said finally.

Senna nodded. "Me too."

"We have to trust her," he went on.

"I know." Senna's voice was even quieter, but she knew that he could hear her. She reached up and grabbed onto his arms that were around her shoulders. "That doesn't make it any less terrifying," she continued.

He snorted quietly. "No, it doesn't." He let out a slightly shaky breath. "For the rest of her life she's going to be facing shit like this. For the rest of her life there are going to be people that want to hurt her and kill her, and I just – " he cut himself off with another long exhale.

"I know," Senna said again. She twisted in his arms and kissed him. "I know," she repeated when they broke apart.

For a second they just stood there, foreheads touching, and then Tonraq pulled back.

"Come to bed," he said.

She knew that neither of them would likely get any sleep, but nodded anyway. She gently slid Korra's door shut, and hand in hand walked back to their bedroom with her husband.

"I love you," she told him as they entered the room and shut their own door.

Tonraq leaned forward and kissed her again, deeper this time. "I love you, too," he said, and she could tell by the sound of his voice that he was either close to crying or already was. "You and Korra mean everything to me, and I don't know what – "

This time Senna kissed him, while her hands worked on slipping off his sleeping trousers. She slid them down, and he stepped out of them, pulling his underwear down as well.

She gave him a gentle push, and he fell back against the bed, gazing up at her as she lifted her shirt over head and took off her own pants and underwear. With deft hands she unbraided her hair and shook it out, and then climbed on the bed, placing her knees on either side of his legs and putting a hand on his chest, pinning him. His hands went to her hips, resting on them, his thumbs ghosting along her skin, making her shiver a little.

"I love you," Senna said again. "And Korra is always going to be in danger." She leaned closer to him, her hair brushing his chest. "But as long as we're around, we're going to help her. You're right – we need to trust her, and we need to trust that we'll get through this too."

For a moment he just looked up at her with an expression she knew well – he'd worn it the first moment he really noticed her all those years ago, and many times since – an expression full of something like wonder. Then he smiled.

"Together," he vowed.

"Always," Senna agreed with a smile of her own. She kissed him again, pressing her body closer to his as his arms wrapped more tightly around her.

Senna took comfort in the familiarity of it, even as she delighted that his touch could still make her gasp, and that hers did the same to him. She replayed their words over and over in her mind as he kissed down her body.

 _Together._  They would do it together, and keep Korra safe, and everything would be okay in the end. They had to be.

(~-~-~-~-~-~)

Korra patted Naga's head, and Naga licked her face in response. They were standing outside of the stadium. Soon Korra would have to go in to get ready for the championship, and she was more nervous than she would have admitted. So standing with Naga, just getting to pet her, was both delaying her entrance and serving as a comfort.

Her parents were already inside, along with Tenzin, Lin, and the police she'd gathered to help protect the stadium. Originally, Pema and the kids had been going to come along, but after Amon's announcement Pema and Tenzin had decided they should stay home, just in case. The kids probably would have tried to sneak to the match anyway, if Pema hadn't stayed to keep an eye on them.

Before they'd gone inside her parents had hugged her tightly and wished her luck. She knew they were worried about Amon's threat, worried about her, but with all the police out among the stands, and Lin Bei Fong herself there, Korra felt pretty confident they could handle whatever the Equalists threw at them.

People were filing in so that they could get god seats, and some of them cheered her name or booed at her as they passed. For the most part she ignored them, and just focused on Naga.

"What do you think, girl?" Korra asked in a low voice. "Think we'll win?"

Naga barked in what felt like affirmation, and then licked her face again, wagging her tail enthusiastically.

Korra laughed. "I hope so, too."

"So do I," said a familiar voice from behind her, and Korra jumped a little, turning around to see Nanuq standing a few feet away from her.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," he said, walking closer, an apologetic smile on his face. He was dressed more casually than he had been at Tarrlok's party, though the clothes were still more on the traditional side like her own.

"It's okay," she assured him, smiling a little as well. "You here for that announcement the council is making?"

He nodded. "Yes. The council asked me if I wanted to do it, and I agreed. I was going to be here anyway," he added with a wider grin. "I do rather enjoy pro-bending myself, and I'm hoping that adding non-benders into the mix will make the matches even more exciting."

"Me too!" Korra agreed. "I mean, I didn't know that it was going to happen, but I'm really happy that non-benders will be able to compete next year."

"I know you are," Nanuq replied sincerely, and Korra didn't know how to respond to that. "I know you are serious when you say you want to help non-benders," he finished.

"I am," she said, looking him in the eyes. "I want to help them, and I want to stop Amon from terrorizing the city."

"I have faith that you will, Avatar Korra." Nanuq said.

Korra stared at him. Before she really thought about it, she asked: "Why? What makes you so sure? You don't even  _know_  me."

He looked a little surprised at the question, and shrugged, scratching the back of his head. "Well, I suppose I'm not sure, not really. No one knows what the future holds – not even the Avatar – " he added with a slight smile. "You're right," he went on. "I don't know you very well, but what I have seen of you tells me that you really want to help people, and that you want to do the right thing. That's more than a lot of people, especially those in positions of power, ever want to do. So that makes me think that you'll succeed."

Korra didn't know what to say, and she felt tears prick at her eyes. She blinked them back, focusing on Naga, rubbing rhythmic circles in the fur on her chest.

"You said you wanted to meet my polar bear dog, right?" She asked, thankful that her voice was steady.

If Nanuq was thrown by the change in subject, he didn't show it. He chuckled. "I'll admit, that was definitely part of why I came over to talk to you. May I?" He asked, lifting a hand and nodding toward Naga.

"Go ahead," Korra said, stepping back a little. "If she doesn't want you to pet her, she'll let you know herself pretty quickly."

Nanuq snorted. "I can imagine." He held out his hand to Naga, who sniffed at his fingers for a few seconds, and then licked the back of his hand. Nanuq's smile widened, and he patted her neck. "She's magnificent," he breathed in wonder.

Korra couldn't help smiling too. "She's amazing," she agreed.

"And I heard you trained her yourself?" Nanuq asked, looking at her with a raised eyebrow.

Korra nodded, feelings of pride bubbling up in her chest. "Yep. When I was fourteen. My dad found her abandoned out on the tundra – he thinks other hunters probably killed her mom – and brought her back to nurse her to health. He'd planned on releasing her once she was able to survive on her own, but by then we'd kinda become inseparable, so…" She laughed, scratching behind Naga's ears.

Nanuq opened his mouth to say something else, when a man came out on the steps and announced: "The doors will be closing soon! If you haven't gotten your seats, do so now!"

"Oh, I've gotta go." Korra bowed at Nanuq. "It was nice talking with you. Come on, girl." She gestured for Naga to follow her inside, where she'd wait (usually in the gym) for the match to be over.

"Of course." Nanuq bowed back at her. "I look forward to working with you in the future, Avatar Korra. And good luck!"

Korra waved back at him as she headed inside. "Thank you!"

Feeling a little less nervous, she dropped Naga off at the gym, and headed up to the changing rooms. Once she was in her uniform, she met with Bolin and Mako by their lockers.

"Korra!" Bolin greeted her brightly.

"Hey guys," Korra said, relief washing through her. Bolin didn't seem to be mad at her anymore.

"Hey," Mako replied, raising an eyebrow at her. "You took your time."

Korra scowled a little. "I was just outside with Naga. There's still plenty of time left to go."

"Well, you  _should_  be here earlier," Mako said, crossing his arms. "I thought you'd learned that by now."

 _Mako always turns into "Captain Asshole" when he's stressed about a match_ , Korra thought in mild irritation. "Yeah, well, after this there aren't any more matches in the season, so I guess it doesn't matter."

Mako snorted. "Whatever."

"Now, now," Bolin said, coming between them, his hands raised in a peaceful gesture. "Come on, you guys. You know we can't fight like this before the match. We need to be on the same page."

Korra deflated a little, and felt her irritation leave her. "Yeah, you're right Bo. Sorry," she said, directing the apology toward Mako

Mako let out a long sigh, but nodded, and his shoulders relaxed. "I'm sorry too." He looked out at the crowd. "I just…really don't want to loose to those Wolfbat assholes."

Korra laughed. "We won't!" He pumped her fist, confidence filling her again just like it always did right before a match. "We'll defeat them, and be the new reigning champs!"

"Hell yeah!" Bolin agreed, pumping his fist up and placing it next to hers.

Korra looked over at him, smiling, and for a second his eyes met hers and she felt a swooping sensation in her stomach, like when she jumped off a ledge into the water; it was scary and exhilarating at the same time, and she didn't want it to stop.

Then Mako's fist bumped against theirs as well, and she was shaken out of the feeling.

"Let's do this," Mako said, and together they drew their fists down and up for a cheer.

"FIRE FERRETS!" They shouted together, and they heard a bell ring throughout the stadium.

The match was about to begin.

(~-~-~-~-~-~)

The Lieutenant waited.

He smiled at passers by, pretending to be excited about the bender's display of superiority.

He met the eyes of a few of his brothers and sisters, waiting in the crowd as the benders – including the Avatar – took their places on the platform to begin the match.

He smiled again, this time to himself. They were ready. As usual, Amon had planned for everything. Tonight, they would show the benders just what the Equalists were capable of. They were the snake in the grass, coiled, ready to attack.

He was shaken out of his thoughts by the sight of someone familiar. He didn't get a good look – just a peek through moving faces in the stands – but it had looked like…

The Lieutenant's eyes narrowed. She was  _here_! Her father was supposed to keep her at the mansion, she could get hurt at the arena tonight, and she could recognize him, neither of which were desirable outcomes. He'd have to keep an eye out from her, and stay as hidden as possible when it all started.

He shook his head and focused on the game on the platform, waiting for the signal to strike.

(~-~-~-~-~-~)

Tenzin walked up to Lin just as she was waving an officer back toward his post after his report.

"Security sweep going well?" Tenzin asked as he came to stand beside her.

"Fine," she said curtly, not even glancing at him.

"They've checked underneath the stands?" Tenzin went on.

"Yes," Lin said, still deliberately calm.

"And – "

Lin's eyes narrowed. Tenzin stopped mid-sentence.

"I have the skies, the bay, and every nook and cranny of this place covered," Lin said, crossing her arms and glaring at him for a second before turning back toward the match, watching it impassively.

Tenzin let out a sigh. He probably deserved that. For a moment he just watched the match, seeing Bolin ricochet an earth disk off of the ropes and into his opponent, knocking him backward.

"Lin…" he began quietly.

"What?" Lin asked flatly, not turning around.

Tenzin hesitated. "Lin, whatever is between us, I hope that we can help each other out tonight. There's too much at stake. We need to be able to work together."

For several seconds she didn't say anything, and then her shoulders relaxed. "Just like old times?" She asked, looking at him with a hint of a smile, and Tenzin felt a wistful twist in his gut at the sight of the smile of the girl he'd loved.

He did not regret, and never would regret, the path that life had led him on. He did not regret his family, and he loved Pema in a way that was both similar and very different to how he had loved Lin. He didn't still love her that way – it had ended long ago – but he often  _did_  feel regret for hurting Lin as much as he had. He missed her, too, because more than anything else she had been one of his best friends.

Tenzin smiled back at her. "Just like old times," he agreed.

For a while they stood in fairly comfortable silence, broken only by Tenzin's increased angry muttering about the refs – they were very blatantly not calling fouls!

"Oh come on!" Tenzin finally shouted, waving his arms as the ref once again declared that the Wolfbats hadn't fouled. "That was clearly against the rules!"

Lin raised an eyebrow at him, smirking a little. "Didn't realize you were such a big pro-bending fan, Tenzin."

Tenzin lowered his arms, feeling his face heating. "I…that is – I've seen a lot of it now, with – with Korra playing, and I just…I know the rules."

"Uh-huh." Lin said, both her eyebrows raised now. She opened her mouth to add something else, but the roar of the crowd cut her off.

Tenzin looked at the arena to see Korra facing off one-on-one against Tahno in the tie-breaker section. They settled back in their stances, and started to circle each other slowly.

Then, almost faster than Tenzin could see, Korra took Tahno out with two different streams of water; one aimed straight at him that Tahno easily dodged, but the second caught him under the chin, sending his helmet flying off, and him tumbling off the edge of the tie-breaker platform.

For a second Tenzin could only gape with the rest of the crowd, and then he heard a loud cheer somewhere to the right that was  _definitely_  Tonraq, and soon they were all cheering for Korra.

Tenzin didn't care that Lin was giving him more teasing looks; he shouted Korra's name with the rest of the crowd, his chest feeling as though it were about to burst with pride as Shiro Shinobi announced that round two went to the Fire Ferrets, tying them with the Wolfbats. There was only one more round to go.

Lin let out a low whistle, watching Korra descend the platform to rejoin the others. "I can't believe your sweet father was reincarnated into that girl," She observed mildly. "She's tough as nails."

Tenzin chuckled. "That's putting it lightly."

For a second Tenzin just watched Korra as she embraced her teammates. She hugged both Mako and Bolin together first, and then threw her arms around Bolin in a hug that nearly tacked him to the ground. Mako stepped back from them, leaning over with what looked like laughter at the sight.

"You know," Tenzin said thoughtfully, glancing at Lin, "She rather reminds me of someone else I knew at that age."

Lin snorted. "Very subtle, Tenzin."

He shrugged. "It's the truth, Lin. I know Korra has made mistakes, but I think you would get along if you got to know her."

Lin didn't say anything. Then she nodded, very slightly, and Tenzin smiled.

(~-~-~-~-~-~)

Asami cheered with the rest of the crowd as Korra knocked Tahno out of the ring. There was something extremely satisfying about watching a sopping wet Tahno glare at the Fire Ferrets.

 _Serves him right,_  Asami thought. She hadn't had much to do with him personally, but from what Mako and Bolin had told her he was a big jerk. And him and his teammates had been cheating the entire match – and had obviously paid off the ref as well.

She noticed that her headscarf had slipped down a little and adjusted it, glancing around to make sure no one had recognized her. Her father had insisted that she stay home in light of Amon's threats to the arena – and though she hated lying to him, she wanted to be there to support Mako and the others. It wasn't the first time she'd snuck out when he'd told her not to, and she doubted it would be the last. Besides, the police were there, and she could take care of herself. With luck, she'd be back home before he even noticed she was gone.

Thankfully her face wasn't quite as well-known as her father's, and with her sitting by herself in the midst of other people, she doubted anyone would really notice her.

Asami focused her attention on the match as the Fire Ferrets and the Wolfbats took up their positions again. She leaned forward in her seat in anticipation.

The bell rang, and both teams charged.

Tahno fired a stream of water that Bolin dodged, while the other two Wolfbats – Asami couldn't remember their names – blocked water and fire blasts from Korra and Mako respectively.

"Go Fire Ferrets!" Asami shouted, waving her arm in the air, though she knew they probably couldn't see or hear her.

So much was happening so quickly it was hard to keep track, though it seemed like the teams were fairly evenly matched. With every shot of water or fire or earth disc, the other team would doge or block. It was hard to keep up, but it was breathtaking to watch –  _not the least of which because all of the Fire Ferrets are very good-looking,_  Asami thought with a smirk. She felt that way less about Bolin – who was rapidly becoming like a brother to her – but Mako and Korra were both  _very_  attractive, and watching them perform complex bending maneuvers was nothing short of breathtaking.

Asami gasped as Mako did a twist in the air, shooting out several rapid blasts of fire, one of which hit the Wolfbats' firebender, knocking him off balance, but Asami barely had time to clap before Tahno gathered a ball of water behind his back, while the Wolfbat's earthbender filled the water ball with a crumbled earth disc.

Asami sucked in an outraged breath, standing up to shout as Tahno blasted the water at Mako, Bolin, and Korra, sending all three flying into the water.

The stands erupted with furious shouting, Asami shouting with them. Even Shiro Shinobi was calling out the ref, but the Wolfbats met in the middle of the arena, waving at the divided crowd.

"That was an illegal head shot!" Asami shouted, though she knew the ref couldn't hear her. "There were rocks in that water!"

"Well, it's a controversial call," Shiro Shinobi's voice boomed over the crowd as the referee held up Tahno's hand in victory. "But it looks like the Wolfbats win for the fourth year in a row!"

For several seconds, everything seemed to slow down.

Asami saw other spectators get to their feet, cheering for the Wolfbats or booing the unfair call. She saw Mako, Korra, and Bolin pop out of the water. People around her were moving, shouting, she couldn't hear anything but the indistinct roar of the crowd –

Something blue flashed to her left, and her head whipped around, seeing a man pull a mask over his face, a glove on his hand dancing with electricity.

Asami shot to her feet, sprinting past the other people around her, focusing on the man as he reached forward to shock the police officer walking past him. The officer went down, but Asami was on the Equalist seconds later, tackling him from behind, pushing his face hard into the stairs.

Keeping him pinned to the ground, Asami pulled off his electrocution glove and slipped it on her own hand. It was a little big on her, but - she pressed it to his back, electrocuting him – it would work.

Her head snapped up, and she stood, looking around for more Equalists. Most of the crowd still didn't seem to know what was going on – people were looking around in confusion, and Asami's eyes caught on at least three – no, four – Equalists donning their masks.

She ran up the stairs. They would try to take out all the cops first – she had to let the police know what was happening, had to help them, and had to get to Mako and the others before –

Her eyes caught movement, and she saw Lin Bei Fong – standing next to a man in orange and yellow robes she vaguely recognized – go down in a heap, the man in robes collapsing a moment later, two Equalists standing above them, electricity dancing in their palms.

So much for that plan, then.

The crowd was starting to scream now; people were running in all directions, trying to get out, but Equalists were standing guard at all the doors.

Asami tried to melt back into the crowd, hoping that the other Equalists wouldn't notice her glove in the confusion, or would just assume she was one of them. She made her way to Lin Bei Fong's unconscious body, kneeling down next to her.

"Come on, you have to wake up!" Asami hissed, shaking her, her eyes flicking around, trying to see if anyone had noticed what she was doing.

The chief didn't respond.

 _Okay, Asami. Think!_  She had to help Mako and the others – but she also had to help the people in here too! First things first – where were Mako, Korra, and Bolin?

Asami sprinted to the railing, leaning over it and peering out into the water – where she saw a man dragging Korra, and then Mako and Bolin (they were just unconscious, they had to be just unconscious) out of the water. Then they were out of her line of sight, under the platform.

Asami stepped back, trying to melt into the crowd, her mind whirling. She didn't know how she could get to them without anyone noticing. She could swim to them – but no, that was a bad idea. If the Equalists saw her coming, they could electrocute the water. She tried to think of other ways to get there, to save them, but she knew it wouldn't work.

 _Mako will be okay. They'll all be okay_ , she told herself. They were strong. They would get out of there. She felt tears prick at her eyes, but she blinked them back. No. They would be fine. She had to have faith in them, and do her best for everyone else in the meantime.

A chill went down her spine as she saw Amon walk onto the pro-bending platform. She didn't want to watch what was going to happen, but she couldn't tear her eyes away. Tahno and the other Wolfbats shot water and fire and earth at him, but he dodged it all like it was nothing. He moved like he knew exactly what they were going to do before they did it, and within seconds he was in front of Tahno, and the other Equalists with him were holding him down and Amon reached for him –

\- and Tahno screamed.

He slumped to the ground. Amon took the bending from his teammates as well, and then the Equalists pushed them off the platform and into the water like they were trash. An Equalist banner unfolded off the platform, fluttering down and revealing Amon's face, seeming to be staring at all of them.

On the platform, Amon faced the crowd, one arm raised, but Asami didn't want to hear it. He wanted an audience, huh? Well, Asami was going to do everything she could to take that from him, and to keep more people from getting hurt.

Asami glanced around quickly. The Equalists were pressing closer to the crowd, standing by in case any of them tried to run. She would have to be very fast, and she would have to be as close to the doors as possible for this to work. Her heart was pounding so loudly in her ears she almost couldn't hear anything else as she worked her way up through the crowd, getting closer and closer to the doors. She could see them now, if she could just –

"Hey, you! Stop!"

Asami ran, not bothering to look behind her.

She made it a few more feet before two Equalists stopped in front of her. She leapt to the right, landing up onto the stair railing and jumping off of it again, dodging around the Equalists before they realized what was happening, but she knew they would be right behind her, and more were coming at her –

She whirled around, slamming her hand into the chest of one Equalist; he dropped to the ground with a gasp. She just managed to duck as the other Equalist came at her, and she spun, knocking his legs over, sending him tumbling backwards.

Hands grabbed her from behind, and for a split second she felt searing pain as electricity flashed through her body; her eyes rolled up and her vision swam, but then the feeling was gone.

Panting, Asami shook her head, turning around and seeing a Water Tribe man facing off against the other Equalists. She shook herself again and climbed to her feet, running toward them, taking down another Equalist before they could swarm the man that had helped her.

"We have to get the doors open!" Asami shouted at him as she electrocuted another Equalist.

"Got it!" The man called back, kneeing his opponent hard in the gut.

A loud  _crash_  startled them, and then the floor shook as an explosion went off. Asami steadied herself on the wall. She could see that the glass above the stadium was broken, revealing a gigantic airship hovering above them. Long black cables descended into the arena, and Amon grabbed onto one, several other Equalists grabbing onto others as the cables pulled them up toward the airship.

Then a figure rose out of the water, higher and higher, coming up with Amon and toward the airship, and Asami smiled, relief filling her. Korra was okay, and that meant Mako and Bolin probably were too.

Asami tore her eyes away from the fight brewing in the skies, and gestured for the man to follow her. "Come on!"

They ran down the hall, right towards the small group of Equalists waiting for them.

"I don't think – " the man began, ducking a punch, "That we've been – " he grunted a little, blocking a kick – "properly introduced!" he finished, throwing his opponent into the wall; the Equalist fell to the ground, unconscious.

"I'm – " Asami caught the Equalist's wrist in her hand, turning it around and pressing his own electrocution glove to his chest, making him slump to the floor. She spun around, jumping over the next Equalist's kick, catching him in the shoulder with her own glove, and he, too, fell to the ground.

Asami straightened, her hair flipping out a little, headscarf long since lost, and finished: "Asami Sato."

"Nanuq," the man replied with a little bow.

She nodded at him, and together they pushed open the large doors. Asami glanced back and saw that most of the Equalists were making their way toward the airship.

"Run on ahead and open the front door," she told Nanuq, and he nodded once before doing as she asked.

Asami ran out toward the stairs above the crowd. "This way!" She called, waving her arms above her head. "The doors over here are open! This way!" She dashed back toward the door as masses of people swarmed toward her. She pressed herself back from the crowd, standing next to the open door, trying to keep an eye out for more Equalists, but all the ones she saw were running for the platform, and the cables that would take them to the airship.

The floor shook, and the screaming became louder as people ran through the door, pushing and shoving each other in their desire to escape. Asami caught herself on the wall, and peered through the doorway to see that Nanuq had gotten the far doors open; everyone was getting out safely.

 _Good._  Asami turned and headed further into the arena. Now that she knew everyone else was safe, she could go help Mako and the others.

She spotted them from the top of the stairs that cut through the rows of seats. Mako and Bolin were running along the pathway at the bottom of the seats, and her heart leapt into her chest at the sight of them alive and safe.

"Mako!" She called, sprinting toward him.

Mako's head snapped toward her, and he actually stopped in surprise. "Asami!" Shock and then relief flashed across his face, and he opened his arms just as she threw herself at him, nearly sending him crashing to the floor.

She held him tightly, and pulled back, but before she could say anything Mako kissed her deeply. She stiffened in surprise – Mako almost never initiated kisses, and definitely not ones like that – but she wasn't going to complain. She kissed him back, but pulled away again so that she could give Bolin a hug as well.

He embraced her tightly, but quickly, and smiled at her as well, before looking up at the broken ceiling, his eyes flicking around –  _probably looking for Korra_ , Asami thought.

"I'm so glad you guys are okay," she told them, and she saw Mako look questioningly at the electrocution glove on her hand.

She shrugged in answer to his silent question. "I borrowed it off an Equalist. Came in handy," she added with a grin.

Mako chuckled. "I'll bet." He smiled at her with something like pride, and warmth washed through her.

Bolin's horrified gasp startled both of them, and Asami saw he was looking up at the ceiling, his eyes huge in his face, before he darted forward, bracing himself on the railing, as though he were ready to jump right over it.

"Korra!" He shouted, and Asami whirled around to see Korra falling through the opening in the ceiling.

She could only stare in shock as Korra fell, the seconds she watched feeling like hours, when all of a sudden Lin Bei Fong appeared, swinging on one of her metalbending cables. She launched one of the cables at Korra, who caught it, and swung to the ground with Lin on the other side of the arena.

Bolin was already running over there, and Asami and Mako followed not far behind him.

(~-~-~-~-~-~)

Korra stared up through the broken ceiling, watching the airship fly away.

"You all right?" Chief Bei Fong asked.

Korra nodded. "Yeah, thanks to you."

The Chief snorted, and gave a slight smile. "Don't mention it, kid." Her expression turned grave as she also looked up through the ceiling. Amon's airship had faded from sight, and all around them the arena was crumbling.

"Looks like we lost this one," she went on.

Korra looked down at the water below, unable to say anything at all.

"Korra!" Bolin's voice shouted.

Korra looked to her left, and saw Bolin, Mako, and Asami jogging toward her, Bolin in the lead. He reached her a second later and embraced her tightly, lifting her off her feet a little. He didn't say anything, just held her close, his face pressed into her neck.

"I'm so glad you're okay," Mako said, as he threw his arms around both of them. He let them go a second later, and Bolin did the same, though she stayed close to her. For a second, Korra had the urge to reach out and grab his hand, but she didn't.

"Korra!  _Korra_!" Korra turned around and saw her parents hurrying down the steps, Tenzin not far behind them. Korra met them halfway, and soon she found herself in her parents arms as well.

Her mom was crying a little, and they both looked slightly beat up. There was a shallow cut on the side of Senna's face, while Tonraq's eye was bruised.

"What happened?" Korra demanded, looking them over for other injures. "Are you guys okay?"

"Got knocked out," Tonraq replied sourly. "They shocked us when we fought back."

"They were everywhere in the crowd," Senna added, her brow furrowed. "They all managed to hide their weapons."

"Speaking of weapons," Chief Bei Fong interjected, and Korra looked around to see that the Chief was addressing Asami. "Think you could let us have that glove of yours? If we can learn more about how it works, maybe we can find ways to fight against it."

"Of course," Asami handed the glove over. "And if you need any help studying it, I'm sure my father would be happy to help."

The Chief nodded. "I'll keep that in mind, Miss Sato."

Tenzin walked between them, stopping just in front of the railing, staring out at the wreckage.

"I can't believe this happened," he said softly. "I played right into Amon's hands."

"He played all of us," The Chief added, moving to stand next to him.

Korra stood next to her as well, remembering the fight up above. Both Amon and that other man had fought unlike anyone Korra had ever fought with before. The way they moved…sometimes it was as if they knew everything she was going to do before she did it.

"Republic City is at war," Chief Bei Fong finished, and Korra felt a chill run through her at the words, her gut twisting.

She was running out of time, and Amon was getting more and more powerful, gaining more and more followers. If she didn't fix things, she really would be a failure of an Avatar.

Her hands tightened on the railing until her knuckles were white.  _I have to stop Amon,_ she thought.  _I have to stop him before he hurts anyone else._


End file.
